


to be a bit of warmth for you

by patrichor



Series: sbi stories [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Disassociation, Fix-It, Found Family, Gen, Good Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP Spoilers (Video Blogging RPF), Mental Health Issues, Paranoia, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Wilbur Soot, Possible Character Death, Protective Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Suicidal Thoughts, Toby Smith | Tubbo Needs a Hug, TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Touch-Starved, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Unreliable Narrator, Wilbur Soot Needs a Hug, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit and Toby Smith | Tubbo are Siblings, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Working Out My Feelings Through Fic, anyway canon is now my bitch and i say wilbur gets help back when it could have actually helped him, extended fire metaphors, i think, i'm tagging it bc better safe than sorry, in this house we support all characters being morally grey, me? projecting? and what about it, minor self-harm, no but seriously if you hate wilbur this is not the story for you, oh speaking of which, that's a tag????? wild, there's gonna be a lot of hugging okay, this fic is basically me speedrunning my own trauma recovery process lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28721784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrichor/pseuds/patrichor
Summary: [ Ph1lza has joined the game ][ Technoblade has joined the game ]A request for assistance is sent the night of the fateful election. Technoblade is here for anarchy, but also for his family. Phil shows up before Pogtopia and just wants his sons to be alright. Wilbur gets the help he needs without self-destructing and taking an entire nation with him. Tommy doesn't have to carry the weight of a revolution and his deteriorating brother alone.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Eret & Niki | Nihachu & Floris | Fundy & Alexis | Quackity & Jack Manifold, Floris | Fundy & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade
Series: sbi stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078391
Comments: 397
Kudos: 899





	1. tommy: the boys time can't capture

**Author's Note:**

> I HAD THE IDEA AND WAS LIKE NO PAT, YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON A MULTICHAPTER FIC, LEAVE THIS ON THE IDEA BOARD FOR NOW BUT HERE WE ARE I GUESS
> 
> blame my near-absolute lack of impulse control idk what to tell u man it be like that sometimes
> 
> please don't expect fast or regular updates, bc a) as previously stated i have a different multichap in progress and b) my ability to write is incredibly inconsistent updates wouldn't be regular anyway lmao
> 
> anyway just warning you i am going to rant about how the fandom tends to treat mental illness and specifically wilbur in the end notes so if u want u can skip it
> 
> one last thing before we start,,, me saying wilbur isn't insane-slash-evil =/= me saying it's okay to blow up a whole country. we can still condemn his actions without making him into some manipulative monster who's been just pretending to be good and selfless the whole time or whatever the most recent take is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so fucking tired i've gotten twelve and a half hours of sleep over the past 3.5 days  
> so yeah sorry if this sucks i already used capitalization and that took all the editing energy i had so what u get is what u get  
> title is from a song by the oh hellos

They're running through the woods when Tommy realizes Wilbur isn't next to him. Fear spikes in his chest as he turns, seeing his brother stagger to a stop and brace himself on a tree.

"Wilbur- Wilbur we can't stop here, they'll find us, we have to keep going- Wilbur-" As he speaks, Tommy moves to his brother's side and takes his free hand, tugging him forward but instantly letting go at the pained sound that escapes Wilbur at the movement. His heart freezes as he moves around his brother to see an arrow sticking out of his upper back. The placement is bad, it's a testament to his sheer force of will that Wilbur made it as far as he had before collapsing.

Tommy does his best to keep him from jostling the injury as he falls to his knees, and makes an executive decision. They can't do this alone, Wilbur will die without medical attention and they both know going anywhere near L'Manberg is a death sentence of its own. He pulls out the invisibility potions from Tubbo- oh god, Tubbo- and manages to get Wilbur to drink one before downing the other himself. They can't stay completely exposed out in the open, but Wilbur is losing blood and moving him is too dangerous.

He fumbles in his pocket for his communicator, ignoring the messages from Tubbo and Eret for now, and switches to a channel that he hasn't used since before the election.

The soft dial tone fills his ear as he holds the communicator close, trying to muffle the sound as much as possible. He's optimistic, not naive, he knows better than to assume their hunters have given up.

"Heya, mate. What's going on?" Phil's voice comes over the line as he picks up and Tommy involuntarily relaxes, his eyes welling with tears as a sense of safety and comfort washes over him at the sound of their father's voice.

"Phil-" He chokes, barely able to speak as worry strangles his voice in his throat.

"Tommy? What's wrong?" Phil's voice is gentle, but tinged with concern.

"It's Wil- he's hurt, bad, and i can't- they exiled us Phil, they tried to-" He cuts himself off with a sharp exhale that's closer to a sob than he's comfortable with. Thankfully Phil seemed to have understood his panicked ramble, based on the sound of movement he could hear on the other end.

"Alright, Tommy. Me and Techno are on our way, okay? Everything's gonna be fine, son." Phil's voice, even tinny and somewhat distorted by the distance between worlds, is the most soothing sound Tommy has heard in a long time.

"Okay." He whispers, shifting Wilbur to lean against him more securely. "Please hurry." He hates how his voice shakes, making him sound small and afraid. Only.. he is afraid. Afraid for Wilbur, afraid for tubbo, afraid for L'Manberg. Afraid for himself.

Phil keeps talking through the sound of supplies being hastily gathered, giving Tommy a point of connection to the world outside his panicked spiral. The line goes quiet for a moment save for the static caused by crossing from one world to another, and when Phil's voice comes back he asks for their coordinates.

Tommy gives them, and assured that his father and brother are almost there, turns his full attention back to Wilbur.

He seems barely conscious, head lolling on Tommy's shoulder. His shallow, pained breathing hitches as Tommy pulls him closer, one arm holding his older brother tight to his chest and the other clutching his sword like a lifeline. They are still being hunted, and if among their pursuers is Fundy, with senses sharp enough to smell Wilbur's blood, or George, an old pro at hunting people down, the former president and vice-president might well die before their family got there.

Thankfully that isn't the case, as the next thing he hears isn't the shouting of search parties with murderous intentions but wingbeats, growing in volume as they get closer until finally a figure descends from the sky and kneels before them. Tommy instinctively points his sword at them and holds Wilbur tighter, but relaxes as his conscious mind catches up and recognizes Phil.

"Hey, mate." His father murmurs, smiling at him gently. "S'okay, it's just me and Techno. Could you let me take a look at Wil?"

Tommy drops his sword- when did his hands start shaking?- and nods, scooting to the side as Phil takes Wilbur from him gently.

Phil looks over Wilbur's injury, pulling healing potions from the satchel on his shoulder. Tommy stands to the side, his whole body trembling, and jumps as a large hand lands on his shoulder.

"Hey." A familiar voice rumbles, and Tommy relaxes upon recognizing his oldest brother. His mind apparently decides that Phil and Techno being there means he's safe, and he bursts into tears as the night's events hit him all at once. Immediately he is wrapped in a warm cape and warmer hug, clinging to Techno with all his strength as he buries his face in his brother's shirt and sobs. A gentle hand runs up and down his spine soothingly, his brother seemingly not minding the tears and snot that were surely getting on his nice shirt.

Behind them, Wilbur's breathing deepens and evens out as the healing potion takes effect and sends him into sleep to recover. Phil scoops him into his arms and lifts him gently, turning to his other sons.

"Come on, let's find somewhere safe to stay for a bit." He says quietly, untangling one hand enough to card his fingers through Tommy's hair in a comforting gesture. "Both of you need rest, I think."

Techno takes the lead, his hybrid senses giving him an advantage at night. He keeps one arm around Tommy who stays close under his cape, furiously wiping his face with the hand not clenched in a fist in Techno's shirt. He understands what Phil meant about needing rest as his eyes being to grow heavy, his exhaustion catching up with him as the adrenaline that had kept him going drained away.

He's optimistic, not naive, but he trusts his family. Technoblade is the strongest person in existence, and their father was a renowned survivalist years ago. Despite his stress and worries about Tubbo, the biggest emotion consuming him is relief. His family is here, so everything will be okay. He's far too wrung-out and exhausted to pay attention to the doubtful whisper in the back of his mind that says otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i warned you rant time
> 
> first point being can we stop calling mentally ill people evil or insane please? even putting aside how good and evil as concepts inherently don't apply to people (and are actually arbitrary when it comes to morality because there are no simple answers and overgeneralizing is fine when you're like teaching a kid not to steal or whatever but it can be very harmful when it comes to stuff like this), fandom in general tends to either romantacise or demonize mental illness but it's really not that simple! shockingly, when your brain is messed up you aren't always capable of making rational decisions
> 
> did you know that at one point 'gay panic' was an actual defense for murder? like you could say in court that finding out someone is trans or whatever scared you so bad you just had to kill them, and that was a valid legal defense! what the fuck! ANYWAY my point is that we make all kinds of excuses for people who do bad things until they're lgbt, or menally ill, or whatever. like there are people that see serial killers and go 'oh what could have Happened to them to make them this way....what sort of things must they have been through...' when usually the answer is just 'entitled white man hates women' or something, yknow?
> 
> so what i'm getting at is that people will make excuses for people doing all kinds of bad shit,, right up until it's because their brain chemistry is different. because a white guy going 'i hate women therefore i am allowed to brutally torture & kill them' is fine but someone going 'i've been deeply traumatized by leading a revolution and the stresses of starting/leading a country and have been (at least from my perspective) betrayed numerous times by people i fully trusted, also i'm borderline suicidal and any attempts i make to explain my thought process i'm either shut down as 'insane/a moron' or outright encouraged in my plans and at this point it's so much easier to just destroy everything and leave others to start over than to confront the fact that the place i built/my dream has been thoroughly tainted and maybe it was only ever a dream in the first place maybe this was inevitable and i also process the world through the lens of a story as a defense mechanism and i'm struggling to cope with a sudden role shift from protagonist to villain alone because the only people i can talk to about this are a sixteen year-old who doesn't want to hear it and who shouldn't have to be responsible for my mental health anyway and a guy who specifically said he's only there to overthrow the government' is evil
> 
> there's two ways fandom views mental illness, right? there's the kind that's primarily self-destructive, and that gets romantacised. then there's the kind that's angry and lashes out, and that gets demonized. and people are so fixated on 'you're only a "good" mentally ill person if you hurt yourself instead of others' that they ignore just how complicated the issue really is. and again i'm not saying that if someone is mentally ill they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions, because they should! i'm saying that being mentally ill and lashing out doesn't make someone evil, and just in general fandom should really be more careful with throwing around 'insane' to describe violent characters/characters they disagree with
> 
> my biggest problem is with people who ignore that wilbur had a whole character arc, and who pretend that he was the way he was near the end the whole time. i've seen him called selfish, manipulative, power-hungry, abusive.... like am i the only one who remembers him using himself as a decoy to draw enemy fire during the revolution? when he mentioned crying every night when he was president because of the stress? how the only reason he was going to surrender was because his men all just died and he refuses to let it happen again because he feels responsible for them as their leader? how he was fully willing to give up his power to schlatt ("we're citizens now") right up until they were exiled and he was killed again?
> 
> tbh when people write/draw the button room i can tell who understands on a personal level and who doesn't bc most people focus on the anger and triumph, and he is angry! he does feel triumph after! but no one seems to talk about how he didn't shout his final line before pressing it, he said it with relief. because he was tired, and he'd been so stressed for so long, and he just wants it to be over. he wants to end the story so that he can finally rest. watch wilbur's pov and pay attention to the facecam to get a sense of what i mean, how he just sags against the wall behind him because it's finally over
> 
> so no, blowing up the country wasn't okay, but wilbur is very far from how he is viewed/portrayed by a lot of the fandom and i really wish people would stop writing him as abusive/evil because... he really isn't


	2. phil: i will carry you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of all the ways Phil had imagined spending his evening, trying to keep his son from bleeding out in a forest hadn't crossed his mind. But here he is, carefully carrying his boy's unconscious body through a gap techno had found that led to a small cave. He takes note of his youngest's tearstained face and shaky hands, and his heart breaks a little. As soon as Wilbur is stablized, he decides, he's giving Tommy the biggest hug of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good dad phil good dad phil good dad phil
> 
> that's right i don't have a good father figure so im projecting :) thank u all for your supportive comments on the last chapter! i relate to wilbur a lot bc our mental illnesses manifest similarly so it. really means a lot to me when people look at him as a person who did something bad instead of a person who IS bad
> 
> i'm glad you guys are enjoying things so far! buckle up tho, because canon divergence means i do what i want and there's a fair amount of comfort in these first couple chapters but things are gonna get a whole lot worse before they get better :)
> 
> also uhhh let me think if there's anything basic abt my interpretation i missed... so respawning may or may not be a thing, idk so just assume not for now. the whisper function is a magic that lets people communicate without anyone else seeing/overhearing, which here means it can take different forms- actual whispering, communicator messages, straight-up telepathy, basically it changes to whatever will work best with each situation. i'll just be writing things like how they appear in chat in-game tho, so i'm not really gonna be diving deep into the laws of the world in this one
> 
> other worlds are also a thing. think like different dimensions almost? basically you can travel between worlds (servers) but you have to be approved by the Admin of that world before you can actually go through the portal. so phil and techno getting through almost instantly... hm. :)
> 
> smp earth & other worlds will be referenced, but as far as i can tell now not a whole lot and it's pretty self-explanatory so i don't think i'll necessarily need to go into detail about it in the future but if anything is confusing feel free to ask

Of all the ways Phil had imagined spending his evening, trying to keep his son from bleeding out in a forest hadn't crossed his mind. But here he is, carefully carrying his boy's unconscious body through a gap techno had found that led to a small cave. He takes note of his youngest's tear-stained face and shaky hands, and his heart breaks a little. As soon as Wilbur is stabilized, he decides, he's giving Tommy the biggest hug of his life.

..That brings up another concern. Now that Wilbur isn't actively dying, Phil realizes that Tubbo is nowhere to be seen. Something more must have happened, or else Tommy and Tubbo would never have separated. Was Tubbo not exiled? Was he unable to come with the other two for some reason? He shakes off horrifying visions of what could have befallen Tubbo. Imagining the worst won't help anyone, and right now Wilbur and Tommy need him.

He does, though, motion Techno to the side once they've put together their coats to form a resting place for Wilbur softer than the ground. Techno looks at him, understanding what he's going to ask.

"I'll find him." He says quietly, putting a hand on Phil's shoulder.

Phil smiles gratefully at him. "Don't stir up too much trouble just yet, alright? We still don't know the situation."

Techno shoots him a look that says _no promises_ , but dips his head in agreement anyway. "I won't start anythin'." He grumbles, the closest to compliance he can reach. "If someone else starts shit with me, that's on them."

Phil laughs softly, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Fair enough, mate."

His smile fades as Techno leaves, taking care to cover the cave entrance back up behind him. They both know Phil is more than capable of taking care of anyone who stumbles across them, but that's no reason to risk it unnecessarily.

Turning to his sons, he sees Tommy sitting with his back against the cave wall, positioning himself between Wilbur and the entrance. It breaks his heart that the movement is instinctive, most likely a lesson hard-learned. He's sixteen, he shouldn't have to worry about fighting wars or being hunted, and yet. Phil can't change what's already happened, but he can be here for his children now.

He sits next to Tommy, close but not touching. He'd learned years ago that while Tommy is greatly reassured by physical touch, he has to be the one to initiate if he's upset. Sure enough, in less than a minute the younger blond shifts and leans against Phil's side, a shuddering breath escaping him as Phil's arm comes up to wrap around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Tommy." Phil says quietly, holding him closer. "Techno's gone to get Tubbo, and Wil's gonna be fine by morning. You did a good job keeping him alive til we got here. I'm proud of you, son."

Tommy's arms come up, wrapping around Phil's middle and clinging tightly. "'Course I did. I'm awesome." He mutters, ducking his head. Phil just smiles and holds his son, and if Tommy's hands are still shaking, or his voice is thick with tears, neither of them will say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tommy deserves to be told people are proud of him more often he's been through so much shit and he's doing a wonderful job he should hear that sometimes
> 
> also next two chapters are abt technoblade going and finding tubbo, but i'm not really sure which to post first bc they're both about the same event pretty much just one is techno's pov and one is schlatt's pov. so i guess if anyone is more interested in one or the other let me know? i don't really have that much preference either way. i will say tho that i've started the techno one but not the schlatt one yet, so it'd probably come out sooner but really i don't think it'll make that much of a time difference
> 
> anyway chapter after those wilbur finally wakes up unless i decide to sneak in a tubbo or fundy chapter but we'll see it depends on how well it vibes ig
> 
> thanks for reading! :)


	3. technoblade: through sharpened teeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The horned man opens his mouth to speak, but Techno doesn't pay attention to a word he says. He walks up to Tubbo, bypassing the man mid-sentence and placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.
> 
> "Tubbo." To someone didn't know him, he would sound flat and unemotional. To Tubbo, who grew up with him, he's barely bothering to try and hide his relief. That's the last member of his family, unharmed and in his sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i'm tired,,, depression's a bitch, huh? n e way hope you all have a lovely day :)

Technoblade would like to think of himself as a reasonable man. He lost himself for a time in the Antarctic, but came back to his senses when his brothers united the rest of the world against him. He's grateful to them for that, just as he's grateful to Phil for standing beside him through it all. He's set aside as many of his violent ways as he can, preferring fields of potatoes to fields of battle, but that does not make him any less dangerous when the voices roar and blood sings to be spilled. These days there's really only one surefire way to infuriate him, and that's to threaten his family. The people here have gone beyond threats and nearly killed his brother, something that provokes the voices to start screaming when he thinks about it.

So he doesn't think about it. Doesn't think about how limp Wilbur was in their father's arms, how Tommy clung to him and sobbed. Doesn't think about arriving in the world to find his twin bleeding out in a forest, hunted by the very nation he sacrificed so much to build.

Chat is still fuming when he reaches L'Manberg, but he's in control. "Not yet." He mutters, emerging from the woods and surveying half-destroyed walls with a critical eye. "First Tubbo. Then we find out who's responsible for this."

He walks forward and hops a section of wall, not seeing the point in looking for a gate or official entrance when there are so many holes in it already. It takes nearly a minute for anyone to notice his presence, but soon he sees someone look at him, double-take, and scamper away toward an official-looking building. Probably gone to notify whoever's in charge, then. He pulls out his communicator, looking at it casually as though he isn't paying close attention to every detail of his surroundings.

**_You whispered to Tubbo: in l'manberg. where are you?_ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: techno? what are you doing here?_ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: are wilbur and tommy okay?_ **   
**_You whispered to Tubbo: phil's with them. he sent me to get you_ **

If Tubbo responds, Technoblade doesn't see it. His eyes flick up as he catches approaching movement. A man in a suit approaches, his ram-like horns only feature more noticeable then the self-important smirk on his face. Knowing his mask hides his eyes, Techno shifts his gaze to the people on either side of him. A man in a purple hat and sunglasses on one side, and Tubbo on the other. He slips his communicator back into his pocket, subtly shifting his weight so that his cape falls open and reveals the sword hanging at his side.

He knows how he looks- red cape, high-quality clothing, crown on top of his long hair, the skull of a boar on his face. His pointed ears and tusks from a distance could be passed off as part of the mask, but once someone draws closer his hybrid status becomes clear.

He knows he looks and carries himself like a predator. Because he is, and he's never bothered to try and pass himself off as anything else.

The horned man opens his mouth to speak, but Techno doesn't pay attention to a word he says. He walks up to Tubbo, bypassing the man mid-sentence and placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Tubbo." To someone didn't know him, he would sound flat and unemotional. To Tubbo, who grew up with him, he's barely bothering to try and hide his relief. That's the last member of his family, unharmed and in his sight.

Tubbo beams up at him. "Technoblade! When did you get here? You didn't tell me you were coming!"

Technoblade ruffles his hair as Tubbo laughs and tries to swat his hand off, a small smile visible below his mask. "I just got here. It's good to see you."

Tubbo's smile dips down at the corners, barely noticeable to anyone other than his brother. Ah. Phil was right about there being complications, then. "It's good to see you too, Techno. I really missed you."

The ram hybrid clears his throat, evidently having had enough of being ignored. "Tubbo! Mind introducing me to your friend here?" He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Tubbo jumps a little, as if he had forgotten they had an audience. So that's the game he's playing, huh? Alright. The ram hybrid is clearly dangerous, so as much as Chat urges him to kill him where he stands, he holds back. He'll follow Tubbo's lead on this one.

"Of course, Mr. President." Tubbo smiles, gesturing as though to present Techno to the other. "This is Technoblade! He's an old family friend. Techno, this is the newly elected president of L'Manberg, JSchlatt."

Schlatt holds out his hand for a handshake at the same time Techno dips his head in greeting, and there's an awkward silence for a moment before Schlatt, clearly used to navigating uncomfortable situations, dropped the hand in favor of a sleazy smile.

"So, uh, mind telling me what you're doing here in L'Manberg, Mister, uh, Blade?" His tone is friendly, but something in his eyes glints dangerously. He's smarter than he lets on, but Technoblade has faced far more intimidating opponents. A man in a suit will not cow him, especially not when Chat is shouting in the back of his head.

"Visiting." Schlatt waits, and arches a brow when no elaboration is offered.

Tubbo coughs lightly, elbowing Techno as discreetly as possible when they're all standing within a few feet of each other. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. Mr. President, is it alright if me and Techno take some time to catch up?"

Schlatt smiles again, but just like before it doesn't reach his eyes. "Of course, Tubbo. Take all the time you need. And I'd love to hear all about this family friend of yours sometime."

Tubbo nods eagerly, already pulling Techno away. "Sure thing, Mr. President! Thanks!"

While part of his attention remains focused on keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers, Techno allows his posture to loosen once they're out of sight of everyone else. He immediately pulls Tubbo into a tight embrace, breathing slowly and calming both himself and Chat with undeniable proof that the last member of his family is safe. Tubbo returns the hug just as fiercely, not letting himself fall apart but taking comfort in his brother's presence.

"How are they?" He breathes, quiet voice muffled even further by his face being buried in Techno's shirt.

"Alive," Techno responds with the same barely audible tone. "Wil was hurt pretty bad, but Tommy called us in time. He'll be fine in no time."

Tubbo nods into his shirt, some of the tension leaving his body at the reassurance that his family was safe.

"Let's go." Techno says quietly. "Phil sent me to come get you." He hopes that Tubbo will come back with him, but he has an uncomfortable feeling that won't be the case. His fears are proven right when Tubbo shakes his head.

"They need someone on the inside." He breathes, not daring to speak any louder than a whisper. "To keep an eye on things and keep them updated."

Techno closes his eyes momentarily, tightening his grip. He knows his brother- he is gentle, but loyal to a fault and determined as hell. If he's made up his mind that this is how he'll help his brothers, there'll be no persuading him otherwise.

"Be careful." He admonishes, cupping the back of Tubbo's neck in a comforting gesture. "No unnecessary risks. You have our numbers, call if anything happens. I'll be around, too, if you need me."

Tubbo nods. "Thank you, Techno." He pulls back from the hug, smiling up at his brother shakily. Techno watches as Tubbo's mask slides back into place, an anxious, harmless boy looking back at him. It's one of Tubbo's best roles, making him easy to overlook or dismiss. He trusts his brother's capability, and that trust is the only reason he's able to make himself stand back and ignore every instinct telling him to protect, to wrap Tubbo in his cape and bring him to safety.

But he has learned the price of losing control the hard way, and so all he does is watch Tubbo walk right into the most danger he may have ever faced. Technoblade promises Chat that in due time, he'll find Schlatt or whoever has hurt his family and make them pay in blood. Even if it's the whole damn nation, he won't let anything that's hurt his brothers continue to exist for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dskbfdsh how the FUCK does one write schlatt
> 
> anyway do you ever think about how originally wilbur also put tnt in the button room itself? like tommy removed it when he & quackity talked wilbur down that one time but. when the explosion actually went off wilbur and also phil, who was further from the button, took damage, right? if the tnt had still been there, it very well might have gone off too. and if that happened, there's no way wilbur would have survived. and he said he wouldn't press it with tommy there because he didn't want him to get hurt... what i'm trying to say is,, i'm pretty sure that was intentional. i don't think he ever had any intention of surviving the explosions. it's just that tommy unknowingly dismantled his plan a, so he had to figure something else out when it actually happened.
> 
> fuck dude why am i getting emotional over block men again :-: it's late i'm not coherent enough to deal w this, thanks for reading :)


	4. schlatt: heard him howlin' as he passed me by

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He frowns as he watches the pair walk away, Tubbo chattering away about bees or what-the-fuck-ever and looking happier than Schlatt has seen him in the few days since he arrived on the server again. An idea begins to form in his head as he remembers the thin line of the stranger's lips forming a small smile at the younger boy's antics.
> 
> So much for having nothing on him.
> 
> He likes the kid fine, he really does, but if the growing sense of familiarity with the name Technoblade is any indicator, having leverage on that 'family friend' will be far more useful than the kid himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway i. struggle w writing schlatt but i hope it's okay!! i tried to capture the sleazy but surprisingly dangerous businessman vibe, and thankfully there was no need for dialogue bc that's. very hard with schlatt for some reason?? bro idek why my brain just stalls lmao

Schlatt doesn't feel threatened by many people, and when he does he takes care of it as soon as possible. The former authority would have posed a threat to his rule, so he exiles them and paints them as tyrants. Now if anyone objects to the changes he has planned, they'll have no one to lead them or rally behind.

Schlatt is not a man who likes to be dismissed or ignored. He came from nothing, and look at him now! President of a whole nation. So when the pink-haired stranger ignores him in favor of the kid... it grinds his gears more than a little. But okay, sure, old friend, haven't seen each other in a while, sure. He's still not happy, but he gets it.

The only thing is.. the new hybrid- Technoblade? Why is that name vaguely familiar?- is clearly dangerous, and Schlatt has nothing on him. Hell, he didn't even know he existed ten minutes ago! Part of him, the part he thought he crushed ruthlessly a long time ago, is afraid. The man carries himself like a predator, and while his arrogance pisses Schlatt off, it's clear from how he moves that he at least knows how to fight.

But. The crown, really? First that Eret person, now this guy? What, is he also a king or something? What is _with_ all this royalty coming to poke their noses in Schlatt's business?

...Right. President. Should probably get used to that.

He frowns as he watches the pair walk away, Tubbo chattering away about bees or what-the-fuck-ever and looking happier than Schlatt has seen him in the few days since he arrived on the server again. An idea begins to form in his head as he remembers the thin line of the stranger's lips forming a small smile at the younger boy's antics.

So much for having nothing on him.

He likes the kid fine, he really does, but if the growing sense of familiarity with the name Technoblade is any indicator, having leverage on that 'family friend' will be far more useful than the kid himself.

Keep the kid close, then, and make sure-

Oh, fuck. _Technoblade??_ God, even he'd heard of Technoblade in the backwater area he'd lived in at the time. A masked hybrid who showed up out of nowhere and dominated the arena, remaining undefeated since. Only one person- Dream, wasn't it?- had ever beat him in a match, and he'd still won the overall duel. Tubbo knows that guy? How? Clearly there's more to the kid than he originally thought. He'll have to keep an eye on the both of them.

This is definitely an opportunity, though. He's not stupid enough to think Dream is happy about him taking leadership of L'Manberg. Wilbur was soft, willing to take the land they'd won and just live on it. He isn't nearly ambitious or cutthroat enough to make this nation into the superpower Schlatt knows it can be. When they knew each other, Wilbur always had to be convinced into doing anything that could potentially hurt someone. Hell, his biggest scam had involved building a whale statue and dispensing fake whale facts! Not a bad idea, but far more harmless than most of what Schlatt had come up with in those days.

Not that it matters anymore. Whatever bond they might have once had, it was severed when Schlatt looked him in the eye and sent hunters to chase him out of the nation he'd built himself. Not that it wasn't probably dead before that. When he'd arrived, Wilbur hadn't looked at him with any of the fury he'd been expecting considering the terms they last parted on, but there was none of the familiarity either. He'd been wary around Schlatt, seemingly instinctively, but had done an admirable job of hiding it. If Schlatt wasn't a conman, or knew him any less well, he might not have noticed at all.

He shoves down the memory of his former friend's stunned expression staring up at him before turning and pushing the kid next to him to run. Pushes down the memory of the sharp, cut-off cry as an arrow hit him in the back and he staggered, the kid pulling one of Wilbur's arms over his shoulders and supporting his weight as they fled. It wasn't that bad an injury, anyway. He'd told the hunters to chase them out of L'Manberg's territory, not kill them. And even if they do die, it's no business of his. One less obstacle in his path to making L'Manberg the most powerful nation around.

..God, what a stupid name. It has Wilbur written all over it. If Schlatt's going to run this place, some things are going to have to change. Starting with the name.

Why not just remove the l? It makes it sound dumb and European anyway.

Manburg, huh?

He likes the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? hinting at there being more to schlatt & wilbur's backstory than wilbur knows?? in this economy??? it's more likely than you think
> 
> dsfds i just love the imagery of schlatt watching them walk away like technoblade?? who the fuck is- oH SHIT THAT TECHNOBLADE????? like the dude IS famous ofc someone as involved with underground dealings as i'm deciding schlatt is would have heard of him
> 
> also in case it isn't clear the chapter title references how techno is clearly very dangerous but doesn't seem interested in schlatt, hence hearing him 'howling' as he passes by
> 
> technoblade: [visibly does not give a shit about schlatt's existence]  
> schlatt: Wow I Very Much Dislike You
> 
> anyway, now schlatt knows that technoblade is around, and that he and tubbo are close. i wonder how that will affect future events :) he doesn't know about tubbo (and now techno by extension)'s connection w the others tho, since wilbur missed his family and didn't talk about them much
> 
> thanks for reading! i hope you all have a lovely day :)


	5. wilbur: a clouded mind and a heavy heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okaY so before reading be warned at one point wilbur does bite his hand (no blood is drawn and phil stops him almost immediately) bc that's something i do to ground myself but then i was like wait shit does that count as self-harm??? so i figured better safe than sorry and tagged it
> 
> be aware when reading fic & take care of yourselves <3

Wilbur dreams of lava. He's standing on a multi-tiered platform, looking up and laughing incredulously as someone shouts with a voice he feels he should know but can't place. Then suddenly he's falling backwards, arm outstretched, staring into cold eyes as a chilling laugh echoes around him, and his vision goes orange and all he knows is pain.

It's long months of practice that has him biting back the scream in his throat, automatically moving his hand to his mouth and biting down on his hand. There's a noise of protest somewhere above him and a hand tugging his away before he can break the skin. He thinks he's still dreaming for a moment when he opens his eyes to see his father's worried face looking back, until the pain in his hand catches up with him and pulls reality back into focus.

"..Phil?" He breathes, pushing himself to a sitting position and taking in his surroundings. He's in a cave, lying on a pile of coats with Technoblade's cape on top of him. Phil smiles at him, relief mixing with concern on his face.

"Yeah, mate. Tommy called us, said you two could use some help."

Wilbur thinks he makes a noise of acknowledgement, his eyes scanning the space until he catches sight of Tommy curled up asleep against Technoblade, the latter seeming to have been woken by Wilbur's sudden movement. His gaze flicks between his father and brothers, assessing. A thread of suspicion winds its way around his lungs, and for a moment his mind is spinning. Why are they really here? What do they want from him? How far can he trust them?

His eyes snap back to Phil as his father moves, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You alright, mate? You took a pretty bad hit yesterday." The soft concern in his voice pulls Wilbur from his spiraling thoughts, sending him back to a cabin with sun streaming through the windows and laughter in the air.

"I'm fine. Where are we?" He steadily ignores the flush of shame in his gut for doubting his family. Phil had taken in him and Technoblade, raised them, helped them when no one else would. And Technoblade is his twin, his other half, of course he can trust him. Techno would never hurt him, he knows that.

...Only, he'd thought the same thing about Eret, once, and look how that had gone. He'd believed Fundy would never betray him, and yet he'd joined with Schlatt and chased his own father out of the nation they'd built together.

 _What makes them different?_ A voice whispers in the back of his mind. _Family ties? Fundy is your family and he betrayed you, nearly killed you. How do you know no one else will do the same?_

"Techno found us a cave to hide in while you recovered." Phil answers his question, unaware of the fearful thoughts racing through his son's head. "It's not really a permanent base, but we figured we could find somewhere else once you weren't, y'know, bleeding out." He huffs a laugh, but his eyes are distant and it's clear he doesn't find the situation funny at all.

Wilbur nods, ignoring the ache of the old burn scars on his back and right side as he shifts uncomfortably. They're normally fine unless the weather is especially bad, but for some reason they've been bothering him since he woke from a strange dream he can't quite remember.

"We should get going soon." Techno speaks for the first time, reaching to where his mask sits on the floor beside him. "The others already heard, but Tubbo's still in L'Manberg. Said you'd need someone on the inside."

Wilbur frowns, concern and suspicion warring in his mind, but answers with a simple nod. He pulls out his communicator as Phil helps him to his feet, checking the unread messages. He ignores most of them, scrolling right to Tubbo's name.

**_Tubbo whispered to you: are you okay??_ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: i'm keeping an eye on things here for you. please be safe_ **   
**_You whispered to Tubbo: i'm fine. l'manberg is dangerous now, be careful._ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: oh! thank goodness, i was getting worried_ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: don't worry about me! schlatt seems to think i'm harmless :)_ **   
**_You whispered to Tubbo: his mistake._ **   
**_Tubbo whispered to you: :)_ **

Wilbur checks one more name before putting away his communicator. There are no messages from Fundy.

If his eyes are darker as they carefully traverse the forest to search for a new base, or he doesn't smile at Techno and Tommy bantering to try and lighten the mood, well, that's no one's business but his own. Phil seems to pick up on his emotional turmoil but doesn't try and talk about it, for which Wilbur is grateful. He doesn't think he has the right words to explain what he's feeling right now, and even if he did he'd have to untangle his emotions first. Instead, the older man simply slings an arm around his shoulders and starts to talk about his most recent travels and the things he's seen. They both pretend that Wilbur doesn't lean into the gentle touch, and that he doesn't slowly loosen up listening to his family talk about everything and nothing.

It doesn't last, because after what could have been minutes or hours for all Wilbur knows, the group crests a hill and are met with a view of L'Manberg.

Wilbur's eyes widen and he pulls away from Phil, running the last few steps as if looking long enough will change what he sees.

The walls are partially demolished, and as he watches, figures emerge from behind the remnants and start the removal of what's left.

Tommy is close behind, and while Wilbur's reaction is a stunned silence, he erupts in rage. "They're taking down the walls?!" He splutters, turning to Wilbur for support. "They can't- they can't do that! That's part of L'Manberg's history!"

Wilbur curls in on himself, eyes fixed on a specific figure tearing into the walls eagerly. Tommy glances back and forth before he catches a flash of orange and realization hits him.

"My son.." Wilbur breathes, voice barely audible. "My son is tearing down the walls I built to keep him safe, right in front of me." A shaky hand comes up to cover his mouth, and his other grips Tommy's arm for support, Tommy clinging back just as fiercely. He doesn't want to see it, and yet can't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the sight of his son tearing apart the legacy he'd built for him. They sink to their knees together, Tommy's concern for his brother overtaking his outrage as he holds Wilbur's hand in a tight grip. He learned the best ways to ground Wilbur during the Revolution, just as Wilbur did for him, and right now he looks at the hollowness of Wilbur's expression and does what he can. Wanting more than anything to rid his brother of the horrible emptiness in his eyes, he begins to sing quietly.

_"I heard there was a special place.."_

Wilbur's head jerks up, blinking at Tommy as if just remembering his presence. Then he smiles gratefully and joins the next line, his voice shaky but gaining strength as they continue.

_"Where men could go and emancipate the brutality and the tyranny of their rulers.."_

A solid figure settles at Wilbur's other side. He doesn't sing because he doesn't know the song, but he knows enough to recognize what this moment means for his brothers. Techno is a protector above all else, and as long as he is around his family will not be hurt again.

_"Well, this place is real, you needn't fret. With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, fuck Eret!"_

A ghost of a smile flashes across Phil's face, wondering what exactly this Eret person did to earn his sons' ire. He sits next to Tommy, wrapping an arm around his youngest and stretching a wing to rest along the backs of the other two. He hasn't been there in the past, doesn't know what they've been through, but he'll be damned if he isn't here for them now.

_"It's a very big and not blown up L'Manberg.. my L'Manberg, my L'Manberg.. my L'Manberg.. my L'Manberg."_

There's a minute of silence after the song fades, Wilbur barely registering the burning in his eyes as a few tears slipped down his face. Then gentle arms are around him and he curls into the familiar embrace of his brother, a hand on the back of his neck in a familiar, reassuring gesture. Tommy's hand is tight in his, and then large wings enfold them all. Wilbur closes his eyes and lets himself be held as he winds his tangled emotions tightly around a spindle and shoves it in a compartment.

He pulls away first, extracting himself from his family's embrace reluctantly. But as he opens his eyes, he is not Wilbur Soot, traveling musician and potion-dealer anymore. Tommy looks up at him, and feels hope rising in his heart at the determined expression of General Soot on the face looking back.

In war, there is no time for emotion. Very quickly, you learn to either shove it down or find fast and easy ways to let it out. Wilbur has always belonged to the former group, and he became even more skilled at compartmentalizing during the Revolution. The same sparks that flared when confronting Dream have been fanned by Schlatt, and if the new president isn't careful he'll have a wildfire to contend with after he carelessly removed it from the hearth keeping it contained and tossed it into the woods.

Wilbur has always been a slow-burning fuse, but he burns from both ends. The sparks have spread, and the fuse is lit. All that remains to be seen is what will be left when the smoke clears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> djsfbds can u tell what ive been struggling with??
> 
> timline. its timeline. because i decided to knock wilbur out for the night like the goofus i am and now the whole feeling of the anthem scene is different but eh it would've been different anyway bc phil and techno are there so
> 
> also i am very much pushing my 'tubbo is actually absolutely feral and deserves to be respected as such he just seems really innocent and polite' agenda. and what about it.
> 
> thanks for reading! next should be an update for the thing with the window, and after that we'll see whether that or this gets another chapter first. my muse is demanding and incredibly specific lmao, it really really depends
> 
> anyway, wilbur pov!! hopefully it's better than i feel like it is, but i know if i don't post it now i'll just keep picking at it forever lmao


	6. tubbo: all good devils masquerade under the light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contrary to what many believe of him, Tubbo is an excellent liar. Really, it's a testament to his ability that most don't believe him capable of lying convincingly. But he plays his roles and plays them well, and if his brand of chaos is quieter than Tommy's, well, it just means he gets away with more.
> 
> The best lies, of course, are technically true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how accurate this characterization is,,,, i'm not super confident abt it kdncbdn
> 
> i am, however, projecting a fuckton so the extended theatre metaphor.... yeah
> 
> this is tubbo in full control of himself!! idk what's gonna happen later but i'm hoping to work in him losing control :)

Contrary to what many believe of him, Tubbo is an excellent liar. Really, it's a testament to his ability that most don't believe him capable of lying convincingly. But he plays his roles and plays them well, and if his brand of chaos is quieter than Tommy's, well, it just means he gets away with more.

The best lies, of course, are technically true.

"Yeah, Techno and my dad go way back." He says, smiling innocently at Shlatt. "They used to adventure together before Dad found me."

"Found you?" Schlatt repeats, raising a brow. "What, like on the side of the road?"

Tubbo laughs with just the right amount of awkwardness, bringing up a hand at a 40° angle to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, actually. I was in a box, and Dad found me and brought me home. I was pretty little then, so I don't really remember much."

Schlatt nods, the faint suspicion that had been in his eyes since Techno's visit beginning to fade. Tubbo pretends not to notice how fake his affectionate smile is as he flings an arm around Tubbo's shoulder, just as the ram hybrid pretends not to notice Tubbo jump a little at the unexpected touch.

"That's pretty funny. So this, uh, Technoblade, is he gonna be around a lot? Where's he staying, anyway?"

"Probably in the woods somewhere," Tubbo chuckles, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "He's not really good with people. Likes his space, you know?"

And when Schlatt laughs and nods, releasing Tubbo and striding off to do whatever being President entails, Tubbo knows he has him.

Make someone feel like you're letting them in on a secret, and they'll naturally start to trust you. As Tubbo trots dutifully after the new President, he's already rewriting the script in his brain to fit his new role. President's right-hand man, loyal, not too bright, a bit jumpy and anxious, easy to lie to. Easy to manipulate.

Tubbo is an actor, not a puppeteer. He doesn't manipulate people's actions, but their perceptions. He has always had scripts in his head for any role he needs to play in a given situation, and as time has gone on he's only gotten better at keeping them separate.

Between him and Tommy, it is easy to mistake him for the calm one. The reasonable one. That is the script he uses most often, and it has served him well. His family are the only people who can always see behind the curtains, right to the Tubbo hiding underneath the role. He used to depend on his scripts, afraid to face situations without a concrete guide to tell him how he should act, but his family has shown him how fun it can be to improvise.

His manner of chaos is not as loud or as visible as his brothers', but it can do just as much damage when he wants it to. And as he keeps the sheepish smile on his face and follows the man who hurt his family through the town he would never, ever truly lead, Tubbo imagines just how much he'll enjoy the look on Schlatt's face when he discovers that the harmless boy he thinks he can manipulate was never on his side at all.

Tubbo enjoys peace. He likes bees, and sunsets with Tommy, and going exploring. Given a choice, he would very much like to live a peaceful life with his family. But now Schlatt has hurt the people Tubbo cares about most, and so he is willing to set aside everything to protect them. No one gets to hurt the people he loves without consequences.

Tubbo is patient. Tubbo will play nice with this man, will laugh at his jokes and work for him and speak about how much he admires him. Tubbo will bide his time. He will not forgive, and he will not forget. Without realizing it, JSchlatt has already sown the seeds of his own defeat.

And Tubbo is going to enjoy watching him fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! it's four am and i have to be up in 4 hours for school but Here I Am
> 
> feral tubbo lives in my head rent-free i jusg. lov he :)


	7. dream: who are you really?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream signed a treaty. He can't take direct action, not representing his country. But the people he signed the treaty with are no longer part of the nation, and he has a vested interest in seeing that change.
> 
> Dream knows many things. He knows that Technoblade and Philza have come to defend their family. He knows that Tubbo is a spy, because he would never betray Tommy or his brothers. He knows where the new rebel base is- perks of being an Admin- and he knows that if he wants to make his case, he should find Technoblade first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> watch me make all the 'villains' morally grey
> 
> better watch out or i'll do it to you too
> 
> anyway did anyone have 'realistic and expanded-on motives for dream' on a bingo card? no??? ok
> 
> i don't plan on doing a whole lot of dream pov in this fic, but this was actually pretty fun :)

Dream is many things. Chaotic. Controlling. Powerful. Protective. Manipulative. He has been called all these things and worse. He is not, however, foolish or short-sighted. The Revolution was a mistake. He let his excitement at being challenged overrule his logic, and he went too far. He knows that.

He also knows that Schlatt being in charge of L'Manberg is not good for either them or the SMP. Schlatt is cunning, and shrewd, and far more ambitious than Wilbur ever was.

Wilbur was content to simply live after the Revolution, and focus on building and healing. Schlatt most certainly will not be. He's already taken down the walls and changed the name, and Dream knows he aims to expand.

Dream signed a treaty. He can't take direct action, not representing his country. But the people he signed the treaty with are no longer part of the nation, and he has a vested interest in seeing that change.

Dream knows many things. He knows that Technoblade and Philza have come to defend their family. He knows that Tubbo is a spy, because he would never betray Tommy or his brothers. He knows where the new rebel base is- perks of being an Admin- and he knows that if he wants to make his case, he should find Technoblade first.

They've met and duelled before, and developed the kind of respect that only comes from crossing blades with a worthy opponent. Technoblade will hear him out. Some of the others, like Tommy? Not a chance unless he's truly, truly desperate.

Speak of the devil- or rather, god- and he shall appear. Technoblade steps into the clearing where Dream is sitting on a tree branch, just far enough away from their base to claim ignorance, but close enough to indicate he's there to speak to them.

"Technoblade." Dream greets him, head tilting slightly.

"Dream." Technoblade returns in exactly the same tone.

"I have a proposal." Dream says lightly, hopping down into the clearing below. "One I think you'll want to hear."

Techno doesn't speak, but tilts his head as if saying, _go on._

Dream decides to be blunt, knowing subtlety isn't the way to go with Technoblade. "Schlatt being in power is bad news for the SMP." He begins, strolling in a direction perpendicular to the rebel base. His admin abilities are used to make sure no one else is nearby, to eliminate the possibility of eavesdroppers. "I believe that gives us a common goal. I'm willing to provide aid, as long as it's understood that I must remain in the shadows. If it was made known I helped you, it would be considered an act of war."

He stops, turning to face Techno. Even through their masks, their eyes meet and they share a moment of understanding. "I am tired of war," He says softly. A moment passes, and Technoblade's head dips in silent acknowledgement.

Dream reaches up, unslinging the satchel he carried with him and holding it out. "A gesture of good faith." He smiles behind the mask.

Techno doesn't move to take it. Finally, he speaks. "How do I know we can trust you?"

Dream sets the satchel down at his feet and reaches up, hesitating before unclasping his mask. He lets his hand drift down, revealing his face. Techno has seen it before, once. During their duel, one of his blows cracked it and it shattered. Dream had immediately hid his face, and Techno stopped and waited until George brought Dream his spare mask. He had caught no more than a glimpse, partially obscured by blood, and now he takes a long moment to examine the man before him.

Dream's eyes are a duller green than they used to be, the lines under his eyes a testament to his stress levels and poor sleep habits. His most noticeable feature is the jagged scar the runs down the middle of his face, where Techno had struck during their duel, but it's far from his only scar.

Techno nods, seeing the relief cross Dream's face before it's obscured once more. He doesn't quite understand Dream's dislike of anyone seeing his face, but he supposes he can relate somewhat as he only takes off his mask around people he trusts.

He reaches up and removes his own mask to show respect by returning the favor, holding his other hand out for the satchel. "I'll talk to them." He rumbles, slinging it over his shoulder. "No promises beyond that."

Dream inclines his head. "That's more than fair." Offering a two-fingered salute, he teleports himself back to the castle. He's done his part; what happens now is up to Wilbur and his rebels.

_**You whispered to Technoblade: you know how to reach me** _  
_**You whispered to Technoblade: see you around** _

Dream finds a quiet room and, once he's sure he's alone, curls into a corner and lets himself start trembling. He places his hands on his mask, soothing his anxiety with a tangible reminder that it's present and secure. He knows that if anyone understands, it would be Technoblade. It doesn't make exposing his face any easier to handle.

He doesn't know how much time has passed when he recollects himself and resumes his natural, uncannily smooth movement. Well. That's not quite true, is it? He knows how long it's been, down to the second. He always knows. He's in his world, the world he created, the one that feeds from his lifeforce to sustain itself.

The End has the Ender Dragon.

The SMP has Dream.

Dream knows many things. That is the price to pay for his power. He once desired knowledge. He's not sure if he still does. (That is a lie. He is always sure. Sometimes he wishes he was not.) He lost himself, before, in the sheer ecstasy of something _new_. something he had not yet seen. Who would rise against the god of this world? And yet someone did, and they won. And.. he may have gone a little overboard, with his role as the villain. He regrets the TNT, and convincing Eret to turn traitor. But at the same time... how thrilling. How exciting, to see something _different._

He knows he has options. He could play the villain again, like before. It would be so, so simple, to drive wedges between the rebels and give Wilbur everything he needs to destroy everything he loves.

But he can see everything down that path, and he told Technoblade he wants to help.

And besides, he's played the villain before. He's played the hero, too, he's not interested in that role either. This time, he thinks, he'd like to play a mysterious ally, hiding in the shadows and swooping in to provide assistance right when it seems all hope is lost. Dream smiles. Yes, that sounds like a fun role. There are so many more variables, too. Who knows what will happen?

Dream doesn't.

And he is so, so very excited to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> casually dropping dream lore pog??
> 
> yeah so he isn't human, or a hybrid. he's not a god, either, he's just the closest thing the SMP has to one. i am drawing parallels to the ender dragon tho.... hm :)
> 
> in case his motivations are kinda confusing, let me explain. for reasons as yet undisclosed, dream knows things. like, basically everything relating to the world of the smp. this means it's really hard for him to be surprised by anything, which is why he got so into it during the revolution bc he genuinely didn't expect them to stand against him. he feels kinda bad about how far he went, but it's just been so long since anything happened that he Could Not predict and he got kinda carried away. and he knows what will happen if he plays the villain (basically like what he does in canon) and he knows what will happen if he plays the hero (offering sanctuary in his kingdom, publically standing against schlatt, etc.) and neither of those interest him nearly as much as helping from the shadows bc he has no idea what will happen if he does. so basically he mainly does whatever will be most interesting lmao


	8. fundy: all the ashes in my wake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fundy time fundy time fundy time!! look ik he had reasons for never telling anyone (except eret i think?) that he was a spy, and technically he still hasn't said anything, but i dont actually remember what the reasons were and i say he gets to at least tell his dad he loves him fuck you /j
> 
> also fundy out here w daddy issues.... same buddy same me fuckin too
> 
> lmao that reminds me of a funny story tho, so i'm in therapy right and me and my therapist were talking about my problems w my dad and she was basically like ok have u considered that u might also have mommy issues and i was like .....ah. fuck. i still laugh thinking abt it because it was so obvious in hindsight but i never??? even had the thought???? like i'm super intuitive in some ways but Clearly not in others lmaoo

Fundy stares at his communicator, his father's name staring back mockingly. He releases a frustrated sigh and shoves it back into is pocket. After everything that's happened, he has no idea what to say. Would Wilbur even want to hear from him?

He won't lie by saying he stayed while his father ran because he had some grand plan to be a spy or anything. In reality, he'd been too caught off-guard to move even if he'd known what to do. Schlatt was democratically elected, doesn't that mean he's in the right?

And yet, even back on the night of the election, hadn't Fundy already chosen a side? He'd caught the scent of Wilbur's blood, and in a surge of protective desperation, had shouted for the other hunters to follow him and led them away to the river, where he'd claimed they'd gone in to disguise their scent.

Thankfully there were no other hybrids in the group to call him on his lie, as even if fox hybrids were known for keener senses than others, he isn't sure he could've caught the scent and gotten the hunters away before anyone else could smell it.

He buries his head in his hands. He can still smell ashes on his clothes. Burning the flag was necessary to cement Schlatt's favorable opinion of him, but it doesn't make pretending Niki's tears don't tear him apart any easier. She's angry with him now, and he understands. The only way he can safely perform his role is if his true allegiances are kept secret even from the people he's risking everything to help.

Fundy is an excellent liar. He was in the closet for a long time, even knowing his father would love him no matter what. And to Wilbur's credit, as soon as Fundy had come out he had practiced using the right name and pronouns to make sure he didn't mess up.

Fundy lays on his side and curls into himself on the bed, a few tears escaping. He's a capable young adult and tired of being babied, but that doesn't mean he doesn't miss his father.

And maybe Wilbur wasn't the best father. He was always swept up in dreams and ideals, and Fundy would many times be lost somewhere along the way. He treated him far younger than his years and rarely took him seriously, but...

But he's still Fundy's father. The same father who called him son immediately after Fundy came out to him as trans, who held him when he had nightmares, who comforted him when he wondered if his mother left because she didn't love him. The same father who used himself as bait to draw the enemy archers' attention away from where Fundy was positioned, who held him close and cried into his hair when they respawned after the Final Control Room, who promised him the world.

And maybe it will jeopardize everything Fundy is working towards, but damn it, he misses his dad.

_**You whispered to WilburSoot: don't respond** _   
_**You whispered to WilburSoot: whatever happens, stay safe** _   
_**You whispered to WilburSoot: i love you, dad** _

Fundy breathes out slowly, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. Pushing his communicator back into his jacket pocket, he wraps his emotions in a tight bundle and locks them away. He can't afford any more weakness, not if he wants to keep his true goals hidden. He'll let himself feel guilty and afraid when it's all over, and his father is there to hear his apologies.

Until then, he will wait and watch and bide his time. He's an excellent liar, and he will use every bit of skill he possesses to gain Schlatt's trust and keep his people safe.

He's the son of Wilbur Fucking Soot, and even if he must be pretend to be a traitor to everyone he has ever loved, he will make his father proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter this time!! but damn fundy rlly does go through almost a whole character arc in one chapter huh
> 
> anyway i Really don't remember much that happened before the festival,,, so i'm mostly focusing on setting up arcs for the main characters and introducing people's mental states
> 
> i actually might make a few of these short interlude chapters with different characters..? idk i guess it depends what my muse demands next lmao
> 
> oh also!! thought i'd add a fun bit of why wilbur & tommy weren't caught the first night even though they stopped running sooner than in canon. surprise, it's because of fundy! he's confused and afraid, but he loves his family :)
> 
> OH ALSO ALSO ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION i have just canonized respawning. you may note, however, that as wilbur did not die the night of the election, he has two lives left as opposed to his one in smp canon at this point. gee whilickers, i wonder what i'm gonna do with that little tidbit? even i haven't quite decided yet, haha... :)


	9. phil: former heroes who quit too late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is many things. A survivalist, a former emperor, the Angel of Death. But most of all, he is a father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phil pov 2 electric boogaloo
> 
> hm idk how many more chapters i wanna write leading up to the festival being announced since that's where shit starts kicking off.. definitely at least one more tubbo, probably a wilbur, maybe a schlatt? i don't think i've expanded much on his motivations. heck, maybe technoblade will get another chapter. maybe one from dream. who knows?

Phil is many things. A survivalist, a former emperor, the Angel of Death. But most of all, he is a father. And as much as it hurts to see his son's eyes filled with distrust directed at him and Technoblade, it's a wake-up call that tells Phil he hasn't been as good a father as he should.

He knows that he gave Wilbur less attention when they were younger, and he regrets it. It isn't that he hadn't tried to spend equal time with all his boys, but what with helping Techno learn to deal with the voices and trying to help Tommy learn not to bottle up his emotions until they exploded as anger, Wilbur fell behind just a little.

He did what he could, of course. He made lanterns with Wilbur, an activity just for the two of them. He taught him how to fish, and if some days his other sons had an emergency and he had to leave Wilbur to fish alone, he'd try to make it up to him somehow. Even when his boys were older and the wanderlust burned under his skin after so long staying in one place, he still made sure to bring things home for all three of his sons when he went on trips to ease his instinctive need to travel. Wilbur had mentioned once that he was thinking about learning to play an instrument, Phil remembers, and his brilliant smile when Phil brought him an old, slightly scuffed guitar from his next trip remains one of his most treasured memories.

SMP Earth, he thinks, is where he really went wrong. Wilbur had made a world with the help of a few others and had invited his family to come live there a while, brimming with pride at his creation. He and Tommy started countries all their own, Phil electing to stay with Techno, and for a while things were good.

And then Techno decided he wanted to conquer the world, and when Phil looked out across the landscape, he no longer saw his middle son's painstaking creation. He saw potential for chaos, and fun, and so he shrugged and agreed. Why not?

And he did have fun, for a while. He flew airstrikes on whims and earned himself the moniker Angel of Death, something he and Techno had a good laugh about. Technoblade's thirst for chaos was infectious, and they constantly pushed to one-up each other, Pete most often found sighing in fond exasperation in the background.

Somewhere along the way, he forgets that the world they're tearing up with war is his son's world. He forgets that his other boys need their father too, until he's sitting at the trial- another whim, they could have easily put up a fight or just not shown up, but Phil thought it might be fun- looking at his son's tired eyes as he leads the rest of the countries to sentence the three emperor. He feels guilt, then, and as he glances at Techno and sees the way he looks at his twin, he knows he feels the same. So they disband the empire, give up their claim to the rest of the world's land, and their little family moves on to the next world.

He tries to make amends, then, and he succeeds with Tommy. His youngest can hold a grudge like no one else, but he can tell Phil is sincere and mostly he misses his dad.

Techno and Wilbur have a bit of a rougher time. Wilbur kept mostly to himself after that, and Phil thought maybe he was just tired, but only now does he realize it probably had something to do with showing his family something he had worked so, so hard on, only for them to destroy it. But eventually Techno manages to get Wilbur to sit and talk with him, and when Phil comes downstairs the next morning they're curled around each other on the couch, soundly asleep.

He and Wilbur talk, too, and he promises he won't let the Empire happen again. Wilbur isn't sure, he can tell, but he nods and lets himself be held.

Their bonds were mended, yes, but Wilbur had fallen into the habit of doing things without relying on others, and struggled to adjust back to a life where his family is there offering assistance. He accepted, sometimes, but never really lost his independent streak. He still does too much, Phil thinks fondly and with no small amount of sadness, still puts the responsibility and burden solely on himself. He was a teenager and he led forces in a war, and never stopped leading.

He is hurting now, that much is clear, and just like always, he will not ask for help.

But Phil has been determined to do better, to be better, and he doesn't wait until he's asked to be there for his sons. He knows when he's needed, and he will be there. When Wilbur's burden grows too heavy, he'll pick up the slack and support his son in any way he can.

He knows he isn't too late. He came to this world in time to help his son, to support him as he falls apart, and he'll damn well help him piece himself back together again. None of his children will suffer alone, he vows. Not anymore, not as long as he lives. He is their father, and he loves them, and he will support them.

Philza is many things. A survivor, an abdicated emperor, a war criminal. He is also a father. And no matter what titles he gains throughout his life, no matter what he does with himself, he knows that being a father is the most significant role he has ever had. He's made many mistakes, and he will make many more. But he will always, always try to fix them. He is Phil, and above all else, he is a father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh, a peek at some backstory??? smpearth and other servers aren't gonna be super relevant so dw, but i do love to use past events to shape characters' present motivations :)
> 
> skdfbdh,,,,,, can u tell i have daddy issues :'
> 
> also, fun guessing game! since Phil is an avian hybrid, do u think his migratory instincts have something to do with the wanderlust i mentioned? u don't get a prize this is just a tidbit for phil's character it's not gonna be like. a plot point or anything lmao
> 
> anyway a chunk of this is from the fd headcanon i saw someone mention (i forget who/where) where the reason wilbur was sorta overlooked was bc tommy and especially technoblade had much more visible problems?? like their stuff is easy to notice, right, while wilbur's... isn't. so what i've put here is that phil really did try to give his boys equal attention, but techno & tommy were visibly struggling while wilbur seemed like he wasn't so just by that he did pay them more attention trying to help them


	10. schlatt: from the flood that wrecked our home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'd been friends for years, and survived disaster after disaster together. Schlatt knows how Wilbur looks when he's concealing dislike, and it was absent. He had no hard feelings toward Schlatt, but he wasn't friendly to him either. He treated him like someone he'd heard about but never met, and Schlatt is man enough to admit how much it stung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some insight into schlatt, because i felt like i haven't established his motivations very well. so.. here u go :)
> 
> ALSO idk if anyone's gonna read too far into this but everything in this fic is platonic!! respect content creator's boundaries!

_"Hey, Wilbur."_

_"Yeah, Schlatt?"_

_"Say we survive this. Say we make it out. What do you wanna do then?"_

_"Do? Like.. what's my dream, or something?"_

_"Or something."_

_"I think- I'd like to build a city."_

_~_

Schlatt doesn't know what time it is, but it's dark out and he's drunk. He blames the rising emotion in his chest on the alcohol, scowling as he tosses an empty bottle away from his spot on the floor of the White House, leaning against the wall.

He accepted the invitation to come back to this godforsaken server because the kid had asked him to endorse him and Wilbur. He thought- he doesn't know what he thought. That if they were working together and they spoke, Wilbur would forgive him? They would be friends again?

He'd been pissed off, at first, when Wilbur had pretended not to recognize him. Only.. the longer he looked at his former friend, the more he realized he wasn't pretending. Hell, he wasn't even hiding the slight limp he'd had ever since he hurt himself like an idiot after the floods stopped. He'd always been too embarrassed by how he got it to let it show, especially around Schlatt, who teased him mercilessly.

The most damning evidence of all, though, was in how he looked at Schlatt.

They'd been friends for years, and survived disaster after disaster together. Schlatt knows how Wilbur looks when he's concealing dislike, and it was absent. He had no hard feelings toward Schlatt, but he wasn't friendly to him either. He treated him like someone he'd heard about but never met, and Schlatt is man enough to admit how much it stung. He'd.. maybe gone a little overboard in his response. His original thought was that maybe if it played out like how it used to, Wilbur would remember something.

That was really all he intended, at first. Just betray him by stealing the presidency, and see if that jogged any memories. Only... once he stood on that platform, he remembered just how good it felt to be in power. And maybe he got a bit carried away securing that power by exiling Wilbur and the kid, but whatever. It's politics, nothing personal. Wilbur would have done the same in his position.

 _..Only, he wouldn't,_ a voice reminds Schlatt. _He never left you behind, not long enough for you to be in danger. He always came back for you, right up until you killed him. If your positions had been switched, he would have given you the best damn endorsement you'd ever get-_

Schlatt reminds the voice to shut the fuck up. God, the whole point of getting drunk was to silence whatever remained of his shriveled conscience. And- Wilbur isn't even the friend he'd known, anyway, so it doesn't matter. He doesn't remember, and if he did he wouldn't want to be friends with Schlatt again. Which, whatever. It's fair, considering what Schlatt did to him.

Schatt's an excellent liar, always has been. He's lied his way through life, cheating and scamming and stealing to survive, and he's damn good at it. So why is it, that when he tells himself it doesn't hurt to be forgotten, not even he believes it?

_~_

_They're sitting on the ground outside their little house, watching the sun set over slowly-rising water._

_"Hey, Wilbur."_

_"Yeah, Schlatt?" He senses the other turn to look at him._

_"Say we survive this. Say we make it out. What do you wanna do then?"_

_Wilbur hums thoughtfully. "Do? Like.. what's my dream, or something?"_

_Schlatt snorts. "Or something."_

_Wilbur looks back out at the sunset. Several minutes pass before he speaks again._

_"I think- I'd like to build a city."_

_Schlatt turns to look at him, one brow raised. "A city?" He repeats._

_Wilbur nods, still watching the horizen. "Yeah. A home where my friends can live. Somewhere free, and peaceful. I'll invite my.. family.." His voice trails off and his eyes sadden, like they always do when he mentions his family. He never talks about them, caught up in grief whenever they cross his mind. Schlatt doesn't know if they're dead or they were separated during the flood or what, but he's never pried. He hates the mournful look in Wilbur's eyes. He's supposed to be the optimistic one dammit, not Schlatt._

_"Yeah?" He asks, steering the subject away from families. "What are you gonna call it, then?"_

_Wilbur's eyes clear, though he still looks sad. "I dunno, Schlatt. It's not like I have a manifesto or constitution written up or anything."_

_Schlatt tilts his head, considering the man in front of him. "Why not call it.. I dunno, Manburg or something?"_

_He gets the desired reaction as Wilbur turns to look at him, laughing in surprise. "What? No way, man, that's way too American. I'll call it.. I dunno, L'Manberg."_

_"L'Manberg?" Schlatt repeats, also laughing._

_"Yeah, the 'l' makes it sound more European." Wilbur explains, a smile tugging at his lips._

_Schlatt snorts, shaking his head. "Whatever you say, man."_

_There's silence for a little while, and just before the sun fully goes down, Schlatt speaks again._

_"Hey, uh.. in this city. Manburg-"_

_"L'Manberg."_

_"-Yeah, there- is there.. room for one more?"_

_Wilbur blinks, turning to look at him as Schlatt avoids his eyes. "Of course there is. Schlatt, my dude, we're friends. You're always welcome in L'Manberg."_

_Schlatt nods to himself, trying to hide the small smile on his face. "Cool. I mean, of course I am. I'm a fuckin' delight to be around, who wouldn't want me in their city?"_

_Wilbur laughs again, and the two of them sit a little longer before darkness falls and they retreat inside their house._

_The water is still rising, and Wilbur still insists something called 'sky gods' are messing with them and causing everything, but those are problems for later. Tonight, they have peace._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so yeah, the conversation at the end is meant to mirror the one where they named l'manberg in canon. it's my way of showing that although for reasons as yet undisclosed wilbur's memories involving schlatt are surpressed, they haven't been removed entirely. he still feels uneasy around schlatt, and when naming a city and tommy said manburg his mind immediately jumped to l'manberg. just to clear up that whole situation :)
> 
> also i think schlatt's motivations are pretty clear? but just in case, let me summarize.
> 
> schlatt and wilbur used to be close friends until schlatt betrayed and killed wilbur (lava video, if anyone doesn't know what i'm referencing here). years later when he's invited to endorse them on the smp he hopes to reconcile, only to find out that wilbur has lost his memories of schlatt. wanting his friend back, he decides to run for president in the hopes that this betrayal will remind wilbur of when they jokingly betrayed each other all the time, but when he actually wins he realizes just how good it feels to have power and decides he'll do whatever it takes to keep it, leading to wilbur's exile. he regrets it later, but not enough to undo it or anything since that would put him in a bad position. he's trying to convince himself that because wilbur doesn't remember him he isn't the same as the wilbur schlatt knew so he doesn't have to feel bad about exiling and nearly killing him, but it's. not going super well on that front
> 
> thanks for reading! if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, i love hearing from you guys :)


	11. technoblade: where you go i'm going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Technoblade has trouble expressing his emotions, but he is not oblivious. He sees the way Wilbur looks at him and Phil when he thinks they can't see, sees how little he sleeps and how he has to be convinced to eat more often than not, and he recognizes the signs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was a good chunk of the way into this and my notes app deleted the whole thing.... i had to start from nothing again it was rlly demotivating BUT done now!!
> 
> also this reached 10k words last chapter??? POG holy shit that's wild thanks for being so encouraging, idk if i would've made it this far in the story otherwise :)

Technoblade has trouble expressing his emotions, but he is not oblivious. He sees the way Wilbur looks at him and Phil when he thinks they can't see, sees how little he sleeps and how he has to be convinced to eat more often than not, and he recognizes the signs.

Years ago, sometime after Tubbo had joined their family, Wilbur had disappeared in the night without a trace. They had all searched, and as weeks passed with nothing to show, they only got more and more worried. Technoblade took up adventuring, traveling from place to place searching for any sign of his brother. He did mercenary work here and there along the way to survive, and slowly earned himself a fearsome reputation. But no matter where he went, all he heard were rumors of an old legend Phil knew better than him, of beings called sky gods with great power and even greater cruelty, who would take people and throw them into world after world to play their sick games, pitting them against each other in a twisted dance of reliance and betrayal. He does not believe in a higher power, not really, but he prays all the same to anything that will listen that the sky gods have no involvement in his brother's disappearance.

A year to the day after Wilbur vanished, Technoblade had come home to visit his family. None of them wanted to be alone on that day, and it was just as well, because as morning wore into afternoon there was a knock on the door, and Techno opened it to find Wilbur there. He was dirty, injured, clearly exhausted, and heavily scarred, but he was _alive_. Techno isn't ashamed to admit that as soon as he confirmed he wasn't hallucinating he'd pulled Wilbur into a tight hug, and if he had cried upon being reunited, well, that's no one's business but his own.

He watched with painful understanding as Phil cleaned and categorized Wilbur's injuries, and took note of the scars. Some along his back and right side that had clearly come from lava burns, and many more than Techno was comfortable with that could only have come from fatal wounds, including the blotches that always remained after a death to the void on the back of his neck.

Wilbur had let Techno close, had seemed almost as reluctant as Techno was to be apart from him. When he flinched away from fire, or came into Techno's room at night seeking comfort because it was raining or creepers hissing could be heard outside. And if at the beginning they shared a room more nights than not, well, Techno was hardly complaining about having his brother where he could see him.

He never talked about what had happened to him, not really. The few times he'd tried, he'd become confused and upset very quickly. All Techno had gathered was that the sky gods were indeed responsible, and that someone else had been there with him for part of it. Techno never pushed for more, recognizing the mix of fear and grief and anger in his brother's eyes. He had been betrayed before, he knew what it looked like on someone else. Phil had told him privately once that he suspected Wilbur's mind was repressing most of his memories of what had happened due to their traumatic nature, and speculated that it might be better for Wilbur to not remember. Techno was inclined to agree for the most part, but there was one thing in particular he knew Wilbur wouldn't want to forget.

So when their next birthday rolled around, he got Wilbur a codfish stuffed animal with a nametag around its neck proclaiming it as New New Milo. Receiving New New Milo was the first time Wilbur had cried since he got back, as he held the stuffie close and threw himself into Techno's arms, sobbing onto his shoulder. After that, things began to slowly improve. Wilbur got less jumpy, started to trust the rest of their family again, and one day almost a year and a half after his return, played music for the first time since he returned. It was a fumbling sound, full of pauses and missed notes, but the shaky guitar music was still the most beautiful sound Techno had ever heard.

Even at his lowest, gripped by the paranoia he had never fully managed to shake even now, Wilbur had trusted Techno wholeheartedly. They were piglin twins, a bond anyone outside of could never fully comprehend. Piglin twins are linked inextricably since birth; where one goes, the other is never far behind, and neither will outlive the other for long. Even after being separated for so long, their hearts still beat in sync.

So when Techno sees himself included in Wilbur's mistrustful gaze, he knows that something is very, very wrong. It's long been theorized that no piglin twin is capable of betraying the other, even if there was any desire to. Each pair is simply connected too closely- two words spoken in the same breath, two flames on the same candlewick, two halves of the same whole. Wilbur knows that, which means his paranoia is overruling his logical mind. For someone as emotionally-charged as Wilbur, someone who dreams so grandly and pours so much of himself into everything he does, that can be dangerous.

And Techno knows he might make everything worse by trying to help. Maybe once, that fear would have kept him silent as his brother spiralled. But he has lived without his brother for a year, and it has made him fiercely protective of those he loves. He can't fight Wilbur's mind for him, but he can remind him that he's not alone.

So he waits until night, when Tommy is asleep, and goes to find his twin. Wilbur is in the cave he'd claimed for his room, pacing and speaking quietly under his breath. He's always processed things verbally, and in the past often used Phil or Techno as sounding boards to talk at about everything and nothing, just having someone listening to him enough to help him put his thoughts in order. But if he wants Techno to know what he's thinking he'll tell him, so the piglin hybrid doesn't step as lightly as he normally does, the sound of his footsteps telling his brother he's coming before he arrives.

Wilbur doesn't mention anything, but Techno looks in his face and can tell he knows the warning was intentional and appreciates it.

"Hey, Techno. What's up?"

Techno extends a hand, jerking his head toward the main area of the ravine. "C'mon. I've got something to show you."

The faint suspicion is back in Wilbur's eyes, but he takes Techno's hand and lets himself be led out of the ravine. Phil nods to them as they leave, reminding them to be careful.

Techno leads Wilbur a little ways through the darkened woods, until they reach the huge tree he'd found a few days before. He scrambles up the trunk, hiding a smile at Wilbur's surprised laugh. He knows his twin is remembering the same thing as him.

When they were younger, the pair would sometimes sneak out of Phil's house on especially clear nights and climb the biggest trees they could find to watch the stars. Phil knew, of course, but he let them have this activity all to themselves while keeping an eye out from the shadows.

They reach the top of the tree, Wilbur close behind him, and settle themselves facing the rising moon. Techno had picked a good night for stargazing; the moon isn't too bright and no clouds roll across the sky. They watch the stars a while in silence, before Techno sits up but doesn't turn to look at Wilbur, staring up at the moon instead.

"I won't pretend to know what's going on in that head of yours, because you manage to surprise me every time." He starts, smiling at Wilbur's soft chuckle. "But I can understand some things, and I wanted to remind you that I'm on your side, always."

He hears Wilbur sit up next to him, feels the other's gaze on his face. It's another long minute before Wilbur speaks, his voice sounding sad and so very tired.

"I know." He whispers, looking down at his hands where they sit in his lap. "I- logically, I know that. It's just.."

"Your mind tells you otherwise." Techno finishes the sentence, his voice understanding. "I know. But Wil, your brain doesn't always tell you the truth. Hell, I can't even count the number of times Chat's lied to me about stuff. And.. your stuff is different, I know. But it's the same in that when your brain tells you you can't trust anybody, it's lyin'."

He feels Wilbur slowly shift to lean against his shoulder, and despite how out of his depth he feels, he keeps talking.

"What about Tommy? Kid would follow you anyway, you know that. Hell, he has. Tubbo's beyond pissed at that new guy who replaced you, I can tell, but he's biding his time cause he wants to help you. Phil came as soon as Tommy called cause he said you were in a bad way, and he couldn't bear to lose you."

Wilbur's head rests on his shoulder, and he pauses long enough to wrap his cape around his brother as well.

"And.. you have me. You'll always have me, no matter what. You're my twin, my other half, Wil, you know I'd do anything to keep you safe."

Finally, Wilbur speaks. "I know," He whispers, voice scratchy from the effort of holding back tears.

Techno wraps an arm around his shoulders and holds him tightly, still looking up at the stars. "It's gonna be okay," He says quietly. "You've got more than just us, according to Tubbo. That friend of yours, what's her name? The baker?"

"Niki." Comes the quiet response.

"Yeah, her. Tubbo said she told that Schlatt guy to starve to his face."

He feels Wilbur's shoulders shake with a wet laugh from where they sit, sides pressed together.

"Yeah, that sounds like Niki."

Techno chuckles also. "She sounds fun. Love to meet her sometime."

Wilbur becomes less tense, leaning more of his weight on Techno. "Yeah. You'd get along, I bet."

Techno hums, nodding. "The point I'm tryna make, Wil, is that you're not alone. We're all here for you, alright? We want to help, you just have to let us."

Wilbur nods slowly, one hand coming up to wipe at his face. "I'll- try and remember that. Thank you, Technoblade."

Techno nods, holding his brother closer. "I'll remind you as many times as you need." He determines softly.

Neither of them speak again, Wilbur soon falling asleep from his position leaning against Technoblade. He lifts his brother gently, still wrapped in his red cape, and carefully carries him back to the ravine.

They sleep in the same room, curled around each other as if they were kids again, and for the first time since the Election Wilbur sleeps through the night.

Things are going to be difficult, Techno knows that. But when he emerges from the cave upon awakening and gets Wilbur to eat without much resistance, he truly believes his little family will make it out okay in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to insert a bit abt techno's protectiveness coming partially from that time wilbur got yoinked by the sky gods for a bit and came back hella messed up
> 
> if he ever finds out that schlatt was the one with wilbur through it, the one who betrayed him.... yikes,, that would Not be pretty. also we have answers as to what happened to wilbur's memories! so, the sky gods did do a bit of erasing, but most of those memories were just very repressed bc of how traumatic the experience was. so he remembers some stuff like the skyblockle, chunks of the water and tnt worlds, and a few flashes of the lava world. the part the sky gods messed with was removing schlatt specifically, not just his betrayal, but like all memories involving him. so when he gets home wilbur knows someone was with him and they hurt him but not who, and as time goes on he even forgets that much
> 
> n e way new new milo!! i love that heckin fish and i needed to do Something with him,, also there Is More to the story of technoblade and the sky gods. that's, uh... spoilers, but. those two aren't done with each other quite yet, at least not in terms of what has been revealed
> 
> anyway i have a tubbo chapter started and plans for a niki chapter,, she's rlly important later so i want to work her in p soon, definitely getting her pov at least before the festival
> 
> so i think there's just those two then i can start buildup for the festival?? maybe??? i guess we'll see where my muse takes me :) thanks for reading!


	12. niki: with pace and a fury defiant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Wilbur is a flame on a torch, lighting the way and protecting the holder, then Niki is the fire in the hearth, warming and comforting the people who huddle around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> niki chapter pog!!!
> 
> i actually intended to have another wilbur chapter before this one but niki possessed me while i was sitting in the dentist's office and started talking so here we are
> 
> anyway i feel like this is as good a time as any to point back to the unreliable narrators tag. obviously there's more going on than any one character can see (except maybe dream? ..hm. something for me to think about.) and descriptions of other characters etc. are all going to be subjective
> 
> just keep that in mind as you read, because later it'll be important to remember once shit hits the fan
> 
> anyway this chapter title is one of my favorites!! i've been saving it, but i think the time is right. ms nihachu... you deserve this one :)

If Wilbur is a flame on a torch, lighting the way and protecting the holder, then Niki is the fire in the hearth, warming and comforting the people who huddle around her.

She sees the exhaustion on Tubbo's face as he nods along to whatever Schlatt is saying, the pain in Eret's eyes when they look at where the walls they built used to stand, the way Fundy watches everything far more carefully than the triumphant victor he pretends to be would, the way Jack Manifold's trips get longer and longer until he spends more time out of L'Manberg than in it. She sees, and she understands. The people of L'Manberg are tired, beaten down and afraid, and they gather around Niki's warmth as she comforts them.

She saw Wilbur's injury and the look in his eyes as he and Tommy fled. He will return to lead them, she has faith in her friend, but he will not be the same and she won't let him put all the pressure on his shoulders. She sees far more than she says, and she saw the way presidency weighed on Wilbur, the way he smiled and sang less and less the longer he was in charge. She was passive then, offering a listening ear and a safe place to let down his guard in her bakery. It was enough, until it wasn't.

She will not be passive again. She is a stowed flame, content to remain in her hearth and bring people peace, but for the sake of her friends and country she will be more. She will burn brighter than she ever has, and she will make sure her boys have a home to come back to.

So she doesn't change out of her uniform. She protests the removal of the walls, the change to the country's name and flag, and even as Schlatt grows more irritated with her she does not falter.

Things come to a head when he stands outside her bakery and, in a flare of chilly anger, she stares him in the eyes and tells him to starve. She has seen tyrants fall before, and she is not afraid of this man in front of her with a suit and a false smile. For a long moment the two look each other in the eye, and she could swear she sees a flash of respect in his expression before it's swept away by anger.

Schlatt raises her taxes and hers only, and she stares down the people sent to collect and does not pay. She is no fool, she knows Schlatt is dangerous. She knows he fancies himself a volcano, pressure building until he explodes and wipes out everything around him.

But he is just a man playing at being a force of nature, and Niki makes sure he never forgets it. He is an interloper, someone who knows nothing of L'Manberg's history or purpose, and he will never, ever truly lead it.

Schlatt likes to think of himself as a volcano. But Niki is a hearth-flame building herself into a bonfire, and like a bonfire, people gather around her. She speaks of when she arrived after the Revolution to a foundling nation, how hard she and the other members worked to build L'Manberg up from nothing into a real nation. She speaks of the values of L'Manberg, speaks of the fight against tyranny, and leads the citizens in singing the anthem.

Quackity comes during one of her speeches, standing off to the side and watching with an unidentifiable expression. She looks at him as if daring him to call Schlatt, to shut the whole thing down, and he does nothing. During the anthem, his voice is nearly too soft to hear, but she can see him singing along.

Jack Manifold returns to L'Manberg again, and he does not plan to stay long until she invites him to her bakery on a rally night. He doesn't leave the country again, becoming one of her staunchest supporters.

Eret comes sometimes, her eyes shining with an emotion Niki feels somehow too private to name. He regrets his actions, she can tell, and when she includes them as a founding member they almost weep. Later that night, she approaches her and is pulled into a tight hug, his sunglasses removed to show pupil-less eyes full of tears, and the two speak and laugh long into the night, the air light with acceptance and companionship.

Schlatt catches wind of her rallies eventually and comes to shut them down, but she stands on the box in front of her bakery undeterred.

"L'Manberg was formed because the founders refused to bow to tyrants," She declares, her voice carrying across the distance between them. "Now, we will follow their example." She stares the man dead in the eyes, letting the warning in her voice be clearly heard. "I will not follow someone who cares only for power, not for the people or the country he claims to lead."

As she steps down from her box and walks toward Schlatt, the crowd parts before her and forms up behind her, facing Schlatt as a unified front. Unified against him. When she speaks, her voice is no louder, but the tone is even more scathing for how evenly she speaks.

"You are no leader. You're just a man who got a taste of power and are scrabbling desperately to feel it again because you can't stand your own weakness."

She stops before the ram hybrid, noting the shocked expressions of Quackity, Tubbo, and Fundy behind him, and lowers her voice.

"You are not the leader of L'Manberg, and you never will be. A tyrant like you, who goes against every ideal this nation was founded on, could never truly lead us."

She stares into wide yellow eyes, and spits on the ground at his feet. She is a citizen of L'Manberg, and she will never bow to tyranny.

She is arrested, and she does not fight the soldiers but walks with her head high and her gaze burning. From the whispers of the crowd, she knows her words have taken root. She is a blazing bonfire, a force to be reckoned with, and she has set her course. Even in a jail cell, she has already set alight the matches that will carry her flame forward, until the bonfire has become a wildfire raging through the hearts of the L'Manbergians.

She has done her part, she thinks with satisfaction. She has reminded the citizens what L'Manberg stands for, and has burned a path for Wilbur to follow. And the few times Schlatt comes to see her and gloat, she simply stares at him with utter contempt until he leaves. She does not listen to what he says. It doesn't matter to her. She will make no deal, accept no compromise. She has set the heart of L'Manberg ablaze, and even if she tried she could not put it out. The flame is too strong now, and it will burn Schlatt to the ground.

_Sic semper tyrannis,_ she thinks with fierce glee. _Thus always to tyrants._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hell yeah niki !!! bro she's so underrated (except for the part where she's trying to kill an abused, traumatized sixteen year-old bc. yikes. but the arson arc was pog!) writing this made me so happy
> 
> someone requested her kicking dream's ass for my other series and i was like idk we'll see and now after writing this im like.... 👀👀
> 
> anyway guess who just found out the full phrase of sic semper tyrannis? so the full thing is actually sic semper evello mortem tyrannis, which means something more like 'thus always i bring death to tyrants' and like. holy shit that's metal!!
> 
> i would've used the full phrase, but niki hasn't quite gone from 'justice will find you' to 'i am justice and i will bring about your end' just yet so. maybe in the future?? she also deserves to go fucking wild along w tubbo lmao
> 
> thanks for reading! next is i think tubbo with festival buildup, and then we reach where wilbur's downward spiral really got kickstarted :)


	13. tubbo: some days it's hard to see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo is tired. He walks on eggshells around Schlatt, pretending to be anxious and weak, and after weeks of lying it takes a toll. He doesn't like pretending to fall for the man's manipulations, even if he makes it easy by being more subtle about it than Tubbo expected.
> 
> Play any role too long, and an actor might lose themself in it. Tubbo is not at risk of losing sight of his goals, but he is tired. Before, when he lived in different roles, he was still able to let the mask slip at times. Now, he doesn't dare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> festival buildup starting! this is gonna be really fun for me specifically :)
> 
> it's a short chapter ik, i just wanted to do some buildup before getting into the parts w lots of difficult emotions

Tubbo is tired. He walks on eggshells around Schlatt, pretending to be anxious and weak, and after weeks of lying it takes a toll. He doesn't like pretending to fall for the man's manipulations, even if he makes it easy by being more subtle about it than Tubbo expected.

Play any role too long, and an actor might lose themself in it. Tubbo is not at risk of losing sight of his goals, but he is tired. Before, when he lived in different roles, he was still able to let the mask slip at times. Now, he doesn't dare. Too much is riding on his shoulders, and he might not care so much if it were only him at stake, but if he messes up he knows he'll be used to hurt his family. He will not allow that, won't let anyone hurt the people he loves, not even him.

So he ignores his exhaustion, using it to fuel his performance. He lets his stress leak through as Schlatt demands more and more from him, intentionally does a poor job of hiding the darkening circles around his eyes. His smiles are forced, these days. He doesn't have much to smile about.

When he can manage to sneak away and visit the ravine, he sees Wilbur's expression at the sight of him in the suit and quickly makes a joke about how uncomfortable it is. Wilbur agrees somewhat distractedly, and some of the tension leaves his shoulders. After that, Tubbo leaves a change of clothes in Pogtopia for when he comes to visit. It's extra work, and means scrambling to get the suit back on when Schlatt unexpectedly calls him, but Tubbo is a born actor. Quick-changes are nothing new, and it's worth it to see how Wilbur is more relaxed with no suit-clad figures in his sight.

He knows Schlatt is suspicious of his semi-frequent disappearances. He'd have to be oblivious not to, and as much as he pretends to be, Tubbo is far from oblivious. He needs a way to ensure Schlatt's trust, and so he suggests holding a festival to quell rising dissent in the citizens.

Niki has done a wonderful job stirring up ~~L'~~ Manberg's population, and there are already groups whispering on corners, unimpressed after Schlatt's speeches, watching everything the new president does with a critical eye. Tubbo knows Schlatt had planned to abolish the elections entirely, installing himself as permanent leader. He'd never admit it, but Tubbo knows Niki's words got under his skin. Now, though, with the eyes of the nation on him ready to tear him apart for the slightest misstep, he can't do anything that will make him appear too tyrannical.

So Tubbo knows that when he suggests a way to raise the public's opinion of Schlatt, as long as it's a halfway decent idea, it's more than likely to be implemented. So he chooses something that will have lots of chaos and fun, and most importantly- will have people spread out through a wide area, with no one keeping track of who comes and goes. Because Tubbo knows his brothers miss their home, and even if it's just for part of a night, he'd like it if they could visit again.

He's put in charge of decorations, and the pride he feels isn't entirely false. He's a good builder, it's always been one of his strongest skills, and it feels good to have that recognized, even if it's by a man he deeply dislikes. But pleasing Schlatt isn't high at all on his reasons for planning as lovely decorations as he currently is. It's because he wants to see the awe on his brothers' faces and pride in his father's eyes as they look and see how beautiful he has made their nation look, just for a night. None of his brothers inherited Phil's affinity for building, something that their father jokingly sighed over to no end. But once, he had ruffled Tubbo's hair and told him that one son with Tubbo's skills was more than enough to make up for three with other priotities.

Tubbo has always held the glowing happiness of those words close to his chest, and now as he gathers materials for decorations, it fuels his determination to make the first festival in ~~L'~~ Manberg the best the SMP has ever seen. For some reason, once, when he's rambling excitedly to Quackity about the ring he plans to set up for sparring matches, he catches Schlatt watching them with something in his eyes that Tubbo could swear looks almost like guilt, or maybe regret..?

But it's gone before he can process it, and Schlatt makes his way over to join the conversation, his trademark smirk firmly in place. And Tubbo means to decipher it later, he really does, but he gets caught up in showing the rough stall layouts he's drawn and it slips his mind.

And then he's in the tunnels, stalling Schlatt and Quackity over his communicator while gesturing frantically for his brothers to _go, get back to safety_ , and the brief panic as he scrambles to fit his mask back on and come up with an explanation for the tunnels firmly erases any thought of Schlatt's strange expression.

When he tells his family about the festival, he doesn't miss the expression on Wilbur's face, but he doesn't understand it either. He knows his brother copes with pain by making it all part of a narrative in his head, but he doesn't quite yet understand how quickly things can shift. Schlatt's a liar through and through, him doing something good- on Tubbo's suggestion, no less- doesn't make him less of a villain, right?

So why does Wilbur have that look in his eyes, as if the ground has shifted under his feet and he's struggling to stand?

He's concerned, and he almost forgets to mention that he'll be giving the opening speech. He fidgets nervously with his hands for a moment, before sighing.

"And.. you know that means I'm gonna have to say some stuff that isn't true, right? Like, about Schlatt being a good leader, and probably some bad stuff about you guys, too."

Tommy scoffs and wraps an arm around his shoulders. "C'mon Tubbo, it's fine. We know you don't mean whatever stuff you gotta say to keep Schlatt from suspecting you."

Tubbo nods, relieved. "Of course I don't! I just didn't want you to hear me say something awful and think I might have meant it just because I didn't warn you beforehand."

Phil reaches over and ruffles his hair. "It's alright, Tubbo. We understand." Tubbo smiles up at his father, earning a soft look in return.

Techno is watching Wilbur with faint concern as the other tugs on his lower lip, clearly lost in thought. He opens his mouth as though to ask if he's alright, but Wilbur speaks before any sound can escape.

"Is he?" At Tubbo's confused look, he elaborates. "A good leader, I mean. Is Schlatt a good leader?"

Tubbo taps his chin, trying to organize his thoughts. "Um.. not really? I mean, the only reason he hasn't abolished future elections and made himself president permanently is because Niki's been stirring up the citizens, and it might cause an outright revolt. And he's drunk a lot, and he doesn't listen to Big Q at all even though they're supposed to be co-leaders. So..." He trails off.

Wilbur hums, nodding. He reaches out and pats Tubbo's shoulder before turning and leaving. The others share a concerned glance, and Phil rises to follow him. Tubbo sighs, also standing.

"I should get back." He can't help the way his shoulders slump. L'Manberg is his home, yes, but it's home because it's where his family is- or at least, where they were. It's home because he and Wilbur and Tommy built it together, fought and bled and died for it. L'Manberg isn't a place, not for Tubbo. L'Manberg is where his family is.

He hugs Techno and holds Tommy tightly before leaving, travelling back through the tunnels. He's tired, but he can't rest yet. He has a lot of work to do, both for Schlatt and for his family, and he's determined to do a fantastic job.

The festival will be an event to remember, Tubbo will make sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk man i'm tired i dont have much to say about this
> 
> ig i want to say thanks? like i really dont think it's hard to tell that my mental health isn't the best. my brain has a deficiency in producing,,, basically all the chemicals?? so my writing is how i work out a lot of my depression & all of that stuff, and when i get such nice comments from y'all, especially the people who i've started to recognize since they leave comments on multiple works/chapters (hi! ily guys<3), it does make me like. genuinely happy to hear about my stuff making you guys happy. so, thank you :) stuff's been a bit stressful, but hearing from you guys has been really helping me push through <3
> 
> ok i'm done having emotions it's exhausting i hope u enjoyed the chapter! next up we get wilbur pov for the conversation he & phil have near the end of this chapter, and i just wanna warn you shit's gonna hit the fan soon and it's gonna hurt. like, i made myself feel sad when planning it :'


	14. wilbur: all the choirs in my head sang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's tired of fighting, has always disliked it, and now this? They can't get the old L'Manberg back, he realizes. There's no erasing or undoing the blood that has already been spilled, the blood that will be shed as they fight to hold on to something that's already gone. He knows this, he can see it even if the others can't yet. If he lets them keep trying, keep getting hurt in pursuit of a finish line that will never be reached, how could he deserve to be called their leader?
> 
> ...Maybe he never has.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh :)
> 
> also uhh quick disclaimer wilbur has some pretty negative thoughts abt himself in this one. this isnt't how i view the character, it's just how i think the character views himself at this point in the story
> 
> i tried to explain what i think is going through his mind?? obviously it's a little different from canon bc phil came with techno, tubbo is his brother instead of his brother's friend, and fundy did contact him even if he requested wilbur not reply. so, it's more like a bit to the left of what happens in canon
> 
> oh also wil's disassociating somewhat at the beginning, so if that's uncomfortable to u just skip the first paragraph. also he bites his hand again but again no blood is drawn

From the moment he hears about the festival, Wilbur's head feels like it's spinning. He barely registers Tubbo's answer to his question, patting him on the shoulder before drifting away. He feels like he's moving through fog, his head hazy as his feet take him through the ravine on autopilot. He distantly notes that there's a hand on his shoulder, but he can barely feel it. Then he thinks he sees a familiar face in front of him- Phil? When did Phil get here?- and words are washing over him like rain against a glass window, sliding down and off without reaching the inside. He doesn't really notice when he's steered outside the ravine and sat on a rock, Phil's voice speaking calmly to him all the while.

He isn't sure how much time passes before he settles back into his body, but eventually he moves from where Phil has his wings tucked around him and gets up, beginning to pace. He needs motion to help him organize his thoughts, and Phil knows him well enough not to try and make him hold still when he's distressed. He puts a hand over his mouth, tugging on his upper lip as he runs the new information through his mind over and over.

Because, here's the thing. Schlatt was democratically elected. Schlatt is throwing a festival, which doesn't seem like something a tyrant would do. So if he's the rightful leader of Manburg, and he's not a tyrant... what right does Wilbur have to take him out of power?

But he can't do nothing, either. He'd tried that before, had accepted losing the election, had been fully prepared and secretly a little relieved to step down from the presidency... and then Schlatt opened his mouth and Wilbur's world crumbled around him. He understands, in a way. He and Tommy are the prior leadership and the heroes of the revolution. Their very presence is a threat to Schlatt's power, and Wilbur knows with an icy certainty he doesn't understand that Schlatt will never stop hunting them until he's sure they'll never be able to threaten his position again. Running is useless, and even if he sent Tommy away for his safety he knows he could never leave his son behind.

Not that Tommy would ever leave, not without Wilbur and Tubbo. He runs a hand down his face and tugs his bangs, thoughts whirling through his head as Phil watches with a concerned expression.

"Wil?" He asks softly. Wilbur shakes his head and holds up one finger, their signal for when he isn't ready to talk. _In a minute. Not yet._

They can't run, and he knows there's no chance Schlatt will agree to resolve things peacefully- and even if he does, Wilbur won't be able to trust it. Even if Schlatt allowed them to return, he'd never be able to stop watching for a knife in the back, never be calm with his brothers out of his sight. He's lived like that before, even if it's mostly a blur. He knows he can't do it again. So all that's left is fighting. The thing Wilbur wanted to avoid, even when founding L'Manberg. It was Dream who declared war, who rejected Wilbur's offer of peaceful discussion.

Blood soaked L'Manberg's fields even before it had independence, his dream of a safe haven warped and twisted in on itself when someone he thought a friend led them to a sanctuary that turned out to be a death trap. And he tried, even after Eret! He did his best to lead his people, to give them everything even when he had nothing left to give, and it still wasn't enough.

He's tired of fighting, has always disliked it, and now this? They can't get the old L'Manberg back, he realizes. There's no erasing or undoing the blood that has already been spilled, the blood that will be shed as they fight to hold on to something that's already gone. He knows this, he can see it even if the others can't yet. If he lets them keep trying, keep getting hurt in pursuit of a finish line that will never be reached, how could he deserve to be called their leader?

...Maybe he never has.

He tucks an arm against his chest, holding the other hand in his teeth but not applying more than light pressure. It was always a bad habit of his to bite himself to pull himself out of spirals, but he didn't stop caring whether others noticed until the revolution. He was their leader, and he couldn't afford to get lost in his mind when they could be attacked from anywhere, at any time. Whether or not people saw his coping mechanisms quickly fell very low on his list of priorities, and it had remained there since.

He stops short as the world tilts under him, putting a hand against the trunk of a tree to keep himself standing as Phil takes several quick steps over to him in alarm. He thinks he responds affirmatively to the concerned questions the blond has for him, but he's mostly struggling to wrap his mind around his realization.

Ever since he was young, he'd always seen the people around him as protagonists. Techno is powerful, loyal, protective- perfect protagonist traits. Phil is caring, and empathetic, and only reveals his true ability when necessary. Tubbo switches from role to role, and Wilbur thinks if given a chance to prove himself he'd make a wonderful protagonist in a spy thriller, or something of the sort. Tommy is brash, and determined, and bulldozes his way through problems coming out on top every time in true main character fashion. Hell, he'd been the one to win them independence, while Wilbur...

He'd always seen the people around him as protagonists, but never himself. What qualities does he have that aren't a lie, people making him out to be better than he is because they can't tell what an anxious mess he really is? Strong, but not as strong as Techno. Compassionate, but not as compassionate as Phil. Clever, but not as clever as Tubbo. Brave, but not as brave as Tommy.

It burns him sometimes, the tightly restrained urge to look at his family and yell, _I'm here! Can't you see me? I'm here too!_ He shakes off the thought when it comes, reminding himself that it's better if he doesn't occupy their attention. What does he have to offer them that's worthwhile?

He had always thought himself a supporting character, until he discovered his love of writing. Suddenly, a whole new world is open to him. Not a protagonist, not a side character, but a narrator. An author. He begins to write music, and it delights him how well he can weave notes and words to tell whatever story he pleases. He doesn't have to feel bitter about his role in the story anymore, because his role isn't _in_ the story. For the first time in years, the burning feeling retreats from his throat and he can breathe.

His family sees him, when he plays, or rather sees the him he weaves through his music. He can be anyone he wants, when he sings, and the sheer freedom makes his head spin sometimes. The first time he catches Phil absent-mindedly humming one of his songs, he nearly cries and has to quickly retreat to his room to hide his massive grin.

He finally found freedom outside the narrative, but now suddenly he's not only inside the story, but he has a different role, one he doesn't know how to play.

He slowly lifts his hand from the tree and pulls away from his father, turning his back and walking several steps away.

"..Phil, are we the bad guys?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DJKSB SORRY LADS TURNS OUT I WAS INCORRECT! THE ACTUAL CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING NEXT WILBUR OR PHIL CHAPTER :'
> 
> me?? projecting w the side character/narrator part???? its more likely than u think
> 
> also yeee,, i finally got motivation to update this fic! now u get a ramble & a character study smooshed together :)


	15. phil: if you can't find the words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "..Phil, are we the bad guys?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoooo finally!! been just over a month since the last update but i finally managed to iron out the details of the conversation!! it's a rlly important one, so i kept nitpicking myself trying to get it Right until i lost motivation to work on it :' found it again eventually tho, so it's all good :}
> 
> also yeah im gonna get a little personal in the end notes abt why my updates are gonna be slow from now on so like. feel free to skip i just gave you the important takeaway here lmao :'
> 
> in other news, i've been working on the promised sequel to you're worth more, achilles and it's already 6.6k which is a fair bit longer than the original (4.3k) and im nowhere near done skfbskd
> 
> idk what to tell you man, im basically speedrunning the recovery process in the course of a year or so in the fic,, but recovery is slow so it takes more to write about it slnfdsbh :'
> 
> also. just watched the german version of dracula the musical on youtube! bit weird/uncomfortably sexual in some parts but overall fun lmao,, some of the songs are fuckin Bops and the lady playing mina had such a nice voice.... <3 anyway long story short ive been working on an sbi vampire au dskfh god dude my brainrot keeps switching :'' at some point im gonna have more in-progress multichaps than finished oneshots :''}

"..Phil, are we the bad guys?"

Phil takes a second to turn it over in his mind. "I wouldn't say so, no. Why?"

Wilbur stays facing away from him, but Phil recognizes the hunch of his shoulders. He's on the edge of a spiral, but if he doesn't get his thoughts out now things will only get worse.

"Why do you ask?" He asks again, leaning against a tree casually. His posture stays open, inviting; he'll listen to whatever Wilbur needs to say.

"Well, it's- after the revolution, we kind of just made ourselves the leaders. And then we had a vote, and Schlatt won with a coalition government, which is completely legal. And- and now we're trying to overthrow him, I- it feels like we're the bad guys, Phil. This doesn't- feel correct."

Phil tilts his head, considering. "Well, coming to power legally isn't what defines a tyrant. It's whether or not they misuse the power, yeah?"

" _Is_ Schlatt misusing his power? Like, has he actually been doing harmful things? He's taken down the walls, but that was for the sake of progress. Phil, is he- is he what's best for the country? Was I.. holding L'Manberg back?"

"Of course not. You heard what Tubbo said, right? How he's not a good leader?"

Wilbur seems to consider the point briefly before moving on, his mind brushing it aside like so many cobwebs.

"They- the people still chose him, though. They still decided they want him to lead, and now we're- we're here trying to overthrow him- Phil, I think we might be the bad guys."

"Legitimate rulers can still be bad ones." Phil knows he's taking a risk here, but he forges on. "The Empire didn't break any rules, but it was still wrong, yeah? From what I can tell, Schlatt's doing something similar."

This gets Wilbur's pacing to pause, though he doesn't answer or turn to face Phil.

Phil takes the chance, taking a seat leaning against a tree and patting the ground next to him in invitation. "Talk to me," He offers quietly. "I don't know that I understand what's going through your head right now, but I want to. Just sit and slow down for a minute, yeah? Walk me through this."

Wilbur hesitates a moment longer, then his shoulders drop as if strings were cut and he slumps next to Phil, putting his head in his hands. It's quiet a few minutes longer, Phil waiting patiently as Wilbur struggles to gather his thoughts.

"I want L'Manberg back," He whispers eventually, his voice cracking slightly. "It- I built it to be a home. For Tommy, and Fundy, and Tubbo.. maybe you and Techno too, if you ever wanted to visit. It was supposed to be a _home,_ and now- it's gone. It- the L'Manberg I built is gone, Phil, and I don't- I don't know if it can come back. I don't think it can."

Phil nods slowly, his face and voice free of judgement. "What makes you believe that, Wil?"

Wilbur's brow furrows as he stares at the dirt between his feet as if it holds the answers he seeks. "I... the reason I built L'Manberg. It was a place of peace, a sanctuary. I never wanted the fighting, Phil, Dream started that. I just- I wanted a place where Tommy could do dumb shit without getting arrested by Sapnap, where Dream and his friends couldn't just declare their word law even if it was unfair."

He laughs wetly, a fist coming to rest over his mouth. "Hell, I just wanted to run a drug business! I just- I just wanted.."

Phil watches sadly, a wing reaching out and tucking his son closer to his side as Wilbur continues to stumble his way through his thought process.

"I never wanted the fighting," He closes his eyes, exhaustion written into every line of his body. "But Dream insisted and we fought, and- we lost so much, Phil, but I thought- I thought it was okay, because the fighting was over." He looks at Phil, expression mournful. "It's never going to be over, is it? We fought to make L'Manberg, and now we're fighting to take her back.. how long until the next war? Even- even if we win, L'Manberg will always be stained with blood. There’s no undoing that. We built it on a battlefield, Phil, of course it’s always going to be at war.”

He runs a hand down his face. “Phil.. was this inevitable? Was it foolish of me, to think I could make a peaceful home?” He sighs and stares ahead without really looking, eyes dull. “It.. was L’Manberg a mistake, Phil? Maybe it was impossible from the start. Maybe.. maybe it really was never meant to be.” His jaw tightens, and Phil doesn’t have context for whatever is going through Wilbur’s mind but he can tell the phrase means something to his son.

“It’s hard to live up to ideals,” He agrees softly, tucking his wing around Wilbur a bit tighter. “And the more noble the ideals are, the harder it gets.”

He pauses a moment, trying to organize his thoughts into words. “The thing is, Wil, that ideals aren’t there to be lived up to. They’re more like.. reminders. To keep trying to better ourselves. So.. maybe L’Manberg won’t ever be completely peaceful, but I think that’s okay. Because the ideal is still there, and it’s still something that’s fine to work towards, but you can’t let it consume you. After the revolution it wasn’t completely peaceful, right? I don’t know what happened, but if Tommy didn’t get into some kind of trouble I’ll eat my hat.”

Wilbur laughs a little at that, and Phil smiles at the quiet sound.

“I know I haven’t been on the server long, and I didn’t get here until after everything that happened. But before that, before what happened during the election, things were good, right? Maybe not peaceful, but people were happy.”

Wilbur nods slowly, dark eyes now watching Phil.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect country,” Phil says softly. “But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for the one you’ve made, because it doesn’t need to be perfect. You said- you said you built L’Manberg to be a home, and it has been for plenty of people. Tommy and Tubbo think of it as home, as someplace safe even if it isn’t peaceful. I’m sure there are others, other citizens that feel the same.”

He tilts his head back, gazing at the stars overhead. “I know how big you dream, son. I know it’s disappointing when reality doesn’t match up with the picture in your mind. But this doesn’t need to be big, or grand. I think.. it’s enough for L’Manberg to just be a home.”

He can tell from Wilbur’s frown that he isn’t convinced, but he’s listening and that’s all Phil can ask. He reaches out and ruffles his son’s hair, a sad edge to his smile when Wilbur leans into the touch instead of pushing it away in pretend offense like he usually would.

“Just think about it, yeah? In the end, what you do is up to you. I’ll support you no matter what choice you make, okay?”

Wilbur searches his face for signs of deception, nodding slowly when he eventually finds none. “Okay.” He responds quietly. “Thank you, Phil.”

Phil tugs him closer in lieu of a response, letting his head rest on brown hair. They can’t stay outside the ravine for the whole night, but a little longer won’t hurt. He knows better than to leave Wilbur alone with his thoughts after narrowly averting a spiral, and besides, it’s been a while since the two of them just took a moment to breathe and enjoy each other’s company.

He has to believe that they’ll be okay. He’s not blind to the way Wilbur balances on the edge of a breakdown, how one solid push will send him plummeting. Not oblivious or naive, just.. hopeful. He has hope for his family. They have to make it out the other side of this okay, or he doesn’t know what he’ll do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> n e way tl;dr here so u can just skip- my mental health has been shaky so writing is slower :} ok thats all u gotta know ur fine to skip the rest lmao :'
> 
> uh so. tommy's most recent streams huh. thats a thing that happened, huh. hm. yikes.
> 
> sjkdf ok i know [events of most recent stream] but it still had a huge effect on me for reasons i dont wanna get deep into,, basically just i uh. can kinda relate to c!tommy? so seeing him get a chance to like.. heal and move on with his life meant so fuckin much to me,, and im doing my best to trust the ccs! they're the ones telling the story and its been planned for a while so ofc they know what they're doing and we just gotta be patient ^^ it's just,,, hard sometimes
> 
> like when i originally got into dsmp it had a pretty positive effect on my mental health. i was able to write more, and the feedback i got from the community was rlly encouraging, yknow? and i mean absolutely zero criticism of the ccs/their storytelling when i say this next part but... starting around the exile content, the effect has been slowly swinging around and,, draining me kinda? like again the ccs are doing a great job telling a great story it's just. idk if it hits too close to home or what,, but i find myself avoiding the more recent content more and more bc every time i hear something new that's happened it just... makes me feel worse ig?
> 
> and the older content is different, u dont gotta worry that im forcing myself to write for it when it hurts me or something- i still genuinely enjoy that content, and writing it makes me happy!! it's just that the tommy exile arc-present arc.. makes me feel bad when i consume it instead of good like it used to. and i dunno if it's because c!tommy reminds me so much of my kid brother who i'd do anything to protect and c!dream reminds me of people i dont want anywhere near him or maybe because more recent (trauma-related) parts of c!tommy remind me of like. past me and thats not something im ready to face or what,,,, idk
> 
> so basically ive just been in a bit more fragile of a state? so im still writing when i can it's just slower, and im stressed by irl stuff and the dsmp used to be an escape from that stress but now it just adds to it? idk,, im trying to go slower and take breaks so yeah thats why updates are gonna be slow just like. in general lmao
> 
> im doing ok tho dw! or,, i will be. i just need time, which is something i'm working on taking! everything is gonna be okay, i really do believe that :}
> 
> call me fundy bc im taking a step back to work on my mental health instead of having a villain arc LMAO
> 
> just for the record, i would be an incredible villain :} remember the essay thing? i also once rewrote hamlet as a gay spy thriller in one sitting and my power has only grown since.... dream god complex who?? :'}
> 
> oh also to end on a positive note,, i found a new smiley that i love!! :} look it has a little beak just like my profile picture!! <3 :} ksfdbh i rlly like it so much <33


	16. tommy: never been one to sit quietly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy is many, many things. Loud, a gremlin, an agent of chaos, irritating, a child forced to grow up too fast. Something Tommy most certainly is not, regardless of what appearances might imply, is stupid. He’s far more observant than he’s often given credit for, even if he doesn’t understand everything he sees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much happens this time, mostly introspective bc i realized i'd only written one tommy chapter and it was the first one, so it was primarily plot :'
> 
> anyway thought tommy deserved some pov too :''

Tommy is many, many things. Loud, a gremlin, an agent of chaos, irritating, a child forced to grow up too fast. Something Tommy most certainly is not, regardless of what appearances might imply, is stupid. He’s far more observant than he’s often given credit for, even if he doesn’t understand  _ everything _ he sees.

He understands enough. Enough to know what it the look in Wilbur’s eye means as he walks away from their group in a daze, enough that if Phil hadn’t gone after Wilbur then he would have. Enough to know that his older brother shouldn’t be left alone with his thoughts right now, even if he doesn’t understand what those thoughts are.

He was younger, when Wilbur vanished for a year and came back changed in ways none of them expected, but he remembers the way he looked most of the time, as if he were barely tethered to his body. He knows he’ll always recognize that look, even if only because of how badly it scared him at the time.

He’d made a habit of sitting with Wilbur when he got like that, chattering mindlessly about whatever went through his head without really paying attention to what he said. The words weren’t what mattered, what mattered was the way his voice helped ground his brother, the way Wilbur would often lean on him after coming back to himself, the way he never said exactly what it meant to him but Tommy could see his gratitude anyway.

No one had ever told Tommy exactly what happened in the year Wilbur was gone, but he picked up on more than his family realized. First, he knew someone had taken Wilbur away against his will. His guitar and all of his things had been left untouched, and he knew Wilbur wanted to explore but he rarely left his guitar behind even on a trip to the village.

Second, he knew that someone had hurt Wilbur while he was away, maybe multiple someones. It was visible in the way he watched the rest of them, the way for months he would only let Techno near him. Even years after, Tommy can recognize how much more cautious he is than before, how he’s friendly but doesn’t easily extend genuine trust to someone.

It’s especially visible after the revolution, the way Wilbur had reacted to Eret betraying them. It had taken him months afterward to trust newcomers like Niki and Jack Manifold, and they were some of the least threatening people Tommy had ever seen.

He sees a lot, and he understands enough to know that Wilbur is better but still not okay when he and Phil come back. Phil is smiling gently but there are shadows in his eyes, and Wilbur seems exhausted and shaky. Tommy slips up beside them and takes Wilbur, shooing Phil over to the fire where Techno is.

“I’ve got him.” He insists, tone leaving no room for argument. “Rest.”

Phil hesitates but nods eventually and walks away. Tommy leads Wilbur to the little cave he’d chosen as his room, darting in to light all the lanterns before tugging Wilbur inside. Neither of them do well with small, dark spaces anymore.

Wilbur sits on the bed but doesn’t meet his eyes, lost in swirling thoughts. Tommy’s seen the same thing countless times during the revolution and after, and he knows how to help his brother focus.

He crosses his legs and settles on the floor in front of the bed, taking Wilbur’s hands and starting to play with his fingers. He talks, quietly, about anything and nothing at all, the tone and rhythm of his voice more important than the words themselves. After a little while Wilbur’s fingers start to move in his, and he looks up to see tired dark eyes looking back at him, more aware than before.

“Hey, Tommy.”

“Hey, bitch.”

Wilbur laughs soundlessly, and it lasts no more than a moment but Tommy feels accomplished all the same. He climbs up on the bed next to Wilbur, nudging his brother to move over.

“You need to sleep.” He says bluntly.

Wilbur shakes his head, eyes darkening, but Tommy wasn’t asking.

“Nope. Sleep. I’m gonna stay right here, okay? You can at least sleep for a few hours, I won’t let anything near you.” Tommy nudges with his shoulder again, pushing Wilbur to lie down.

It’s an old routine, stemming from the revolution days where it wasn’t safe for all of them to sleep at once. Even after independence was won, Wilbur’s paranoia would often keep him awake and Tommy had started forcing him to lie down and nap, reassuring him enough to fall asleep by staying between him and the rest of the world.

Wilbur would do the same thing for him, sometimes, when he had nightmares of the control room and the duel. Tubbo didn’t have as much trouble sleeping as them, his trauma manifested differently, but when he wasn’t busy he’d often sit with them as well.

..God, Tommy misses Tubbo. They’re not meant to be apart for so long, especially not when they’re both in so much danger. This is of course more for Tubbo than Tommy, because of how clingy he is, but. Well. It’s not like Tommy dislikes having his best friend where he can see him and know he’s safe, either.

Wilbur finally relents and lies down, Tommy shuffling to sit on the end of the bed- close enough for Wilbur to immediately spot him should he wake, but between his brother and the entrance. His sword rests in his lap, and he glances over his shoulders as fingers slide and clutch at his. Wilbur looks back at him tiredly, and a moment of understanding passes between them. Later, with Wilbur asleep and Tommy facing the doorway, their hands are still linked.

The thing about Tommy is that he’s excellent at improvising. He rolls with things as they happen, adapts to what life throws at him before it’s even finished drawing back its arm. He runs primarily on instinct, especially in a fight, and comes up with on-the-spot adjustments to anything Wilbur dreams up. But that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of planning.

He sits in silence broken only by the shallow breathing of his older brother, and he plans. Under normal circumstances, Tubbo would be the one to do the fancy thinking, or Wilbur, or even Fundy. But they need a plan, and Wilbur is clearly not up to it at the moment, and Tommy was vice president of L’Manberg for more than just securing their independence.

He’s impulsive, and brash, but not stupid. They have a definite advantage with Phil and Techno here, but it won’t be enough. They need allies, either numerous or strong ones.

He scowls a little as he recalls the information and satchel Techno had brought back from a patrol recently. First of all, it’s incredibly suspicious of Dream to only talk to Techno. How do they even know each other? Second, why would he want to help them? He’s the one who they built L’Manberg to escape from in the first place, and with the viciousness he’d shown during the revolution, Tommy can’t imagine why he would want the nation whose very existence defies him to continue existing. Third, Dream is just a prick. He’d taken two of Tommy’s lives, something Tommy is obviously not exactly over, and he’d blown up L’Manberg and convinced Eret to betray them.

Tommy pushes down the pain that accompanies the thought of Eret with practiced ease. So what if he’d thought of her as a friend. As another older brother, almost, maybe. If they had stayed with L’Manberg, he thinks he might have eventually. But she didn’t, and Tommy doesn’t care. He doesn’t. Why should it matter to him if one of their small group of revolutionaries, people he’d all trusted with the lives of him and his brothers and nephew, had apparently been lying about being their friend the whole time? It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t.

Eret had also offered assistance, he remembers. But he’s not ready to think about what that might mean, for her and for them, so he does what he always does and pretends the problem doesn’t exist until he’s ready to deal with it.

Phil pokes his head into the room at one point, and Tommy lets go of his sword to make a shushing gesture without letting go of Wilbur’s hand. Phil mouths a goodnight and leaves, expression soft in a way Tommy doesn’t fully understand, not consciously. He might, if he thinks about it, but he’s not in the habit of examining his emotions.

One thing he does understand is the need to protect his family. He’ll do whatever is necessary, even working with the green bitch who caused the original problems. That doesn’t mean, though, that he’ll let Dream know that he’s considering agreeing to an alliance. He’ll let the bastard sweat first, make him prove that he doesn’t have bad intentions.

Tommy sees more than most people realize, and just because he sometimes acts before his observations can catch up doesn’t mean he’s oblivious. He’s smarter than he’s often given credit for, too, and as he sits quietly in the dim light with one hand holding onto his brother and the other on the hilt of his sword, he starts to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eret redemption arc.... eventually skgbfh :' not yet. but at some point :}
> 
> anyway i figured this one could have basically nothing happen to advance the plot, bc the next one-two (depends on how long it gets) are gonna be super plot-heavy and set up some stuff for the future
> 
> get ready i guess, because things are about to get really interesting and then really bad, so like.. have fun with that? i know i will :)


	17. dream: the earth beneath my feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur tilts his head, indicating Dream should make his offer.
> 
> Dream inclines his own in return, and speaks.
> 
> “Before anything else, I believe I first owe you both an apology.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i did end up splitting it in two, but that's also because i want two different povs of this event (you'll understand what i mean near the end)
> 
> so, look forward to that i guess?
> 
> anyway we got some dream lore in this one, very nice :}

Dream doesn’t bother with walking to Pogtopia. He knows he isn’t being followed- even without Admin abilities, he’s been hunted enough to always know when people are nearby. There’s still no reason to leave a trail, and so he simply teleports himself to outside the ravine. Technoblade is standing there, arms crossed, and one of his ears flicks when Dream appears but he shows no sign of surprise, simply gesturing for Dream to follow him.

They traverse the walkways of the ravine, heading downward, and Dream graciously doesn’t make a comment about the lack of safety railings. Techno picks up on his amusement anyway, and sends a look over his shoulder.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say a word.”

“I can feel your smug aura from here.”

“Aww, you think I have an aura?” Dream bats his eyes exaggeratedly, and he knows Techno picked up on it despite their masks because of the disgust on the visible lower part of his face.

They reach a room with a wooden table that looks like it was made a little hastily, and three others in the room. Dream glances around at them and inclines his head in greeting. He knows two personally, and the third he’s heard plenty about.

Tommy stands beside Wilbur, distrust written all over his face. Wilbur is at the far end of the table from the entrance, and though he does an admirable job at hiding his exhaustion, Dream is more than familiar with masks of all kinds. The last person is on Wilbur’s other side, and he crosses to the entrance and offers a handshake.

“Philza,” He introduces himself, wings upright but not tense. Dream shakes his hand and nods, returning the courtesy.

“Dream. We haven’t officially met, I believe.”

“Officially?” Tommy has his arms crossed, and Dream’s only movement is breathing as he remains still to try and ease the boy’s clear discomfort in his presence.

“All travel on-world has to be approved by the world’s Admin.” Dream explains. “It can be hacked, of course, but it’s an unreliable and time-consuming method.”

Something in Wilbur’s eyes changes as he looks at Dream, evaluating. Phil moves back to his prior position along the table’s side, and Techno mirrors him across the table. Wilbur tilts his head, indicating Dream should make his offer.

Dream inclines his own in return, and speaks.

“Before anything else, I believe I first owe you both an apology.”

Tommy’s eyes go wide and the others in the room watch Dream with various levels of surprise.

“I know I was in the wrong during the revolution.” Dream says simply. “I allowed my emotions to blind me, and I lost control and did things I shouldn’t have done. For that, I am truly sorry.”

There’s silence for a long moment, and then Wilbur clears his throat. “That is.. appreciated, Dream. But it does bring up a question. You fought incredibly hard to keep L’Manberg from existing at all, why would you be willing to help us reclaim it?”

Dream nods slowly. “The short answer is because of Schlatt. He has plans for aggressive expansions, ones that will infringe on the border agreements you and I signed. I can keep it from turning into a war on the side of the greater SMP, but I don’t have that same power over Schlatt or the Badlands. If he infringes too far on our borders I can’t let it slide, and Bad’s a demon- he’s incredibly territorial, even more so because he built the Badlands to protect his people.”

Philza is nodding slowly as he ponders, but Wilbur is frowning.

“And the long answer?”

“The long answer is very long.” Dream tilts his head slightly. “I don’t think either of us has the time for me to explain in a way that you would understand.” He keeps his tone soft to indicate that it isn’t a jab, but rather a statement to the complexity of his reasoning.

“I feel like we’re kind of glossing over the whole revolution thing,” Tommy chimes in, scowling. “You killed me twice, are we just not going to talk about that?”

Techno turns a dangerously calm expression toward Dream, and Philza’s wings puff up in a surge of anger.

“Yes.” Dream says calmly, body still completely still. “And if you’d like, you and your family can return the favor as many times as you want.”

That’s enough to stop Tommy short. “...What? You realize you just offered to let us permakill you, right? Are you fuckin’ serious?”

“It won’t permakill me.” Dream answers, not oblivious to the considering looks being shared between the other three. “So yes, I’m serious.”

“How?” Tommy demands. “This world has that three lives rule, does it just not apply to you because you’re an Admin? How the fuck’s that fair?”

“Not because I’m an Admin.” He pauses, considering his next words. “..Tommy, do you know why it’s called the  _ Dream  _ SMP?”

“Because you own it and your name is Dream?” Tommy grumbles. “I dunno, just figured it was some kinda fuckin’ ego thing.”

Dream huffs a small laugh. “Not quite. It’s pretty literal, actually.”

Tommy frowns, not understanding, but Philza’s expression changes as pieces in his mind start to click together.

“Tommy, I  _ am _ the SMP.” He lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “In one sense, anyway. That’s why I can’t die permanently. As long as the SMP is still here, I will be too.”

“In one sense- what the fuck are you talking about? You’re not making any sense!” Tommy splutters, looking to the others in the room for support. Wilbur is silent, watching Dream with something distant in his eyes.

“I told you the long answer is complicated.” Dream says wryly. “I am a person separate from the SMP, and I am the SMP itself. I feel what it feels, and I can’t permanently die as long as it still lives.”

He thinks for a moment, trying to summarize in the simplest way possible. “I used to speedrun, before I came here. I was good, and I’ve killed more ender dragons than I could count. But the thing about gods is that if you kill enough of them, something has to take their place.”

His mask turns ever so slightly towards Techno, and the two of them share a moment of understanding.

“I’m not human.” Dream says bluntly. “I was, once. And then this world happened, and now I’m something else.” He sighs inaudibly. “How do you think I persuaded Eret to betray you?”

Wilbur’s face turns dark, but it’s Tommy who answers. “You made them king, duh.”

Dream makes a  _ so-so  _ motion with his hands. “Eventually. But if I had led with that, I would have been shut down right away. Instead... I offered her a different perspective. A view of the forest from the air instead of within the trees, you might say.”

“I might not.” Tommy grumbles, but he’s clearly considering Dream’s words. “So when- when he betrayed us. That was still their choice? You didn’t mind control her or something?”

“Tommy, I can’t even really read people’s minds, much less control them.” He hesitates a moment, something about his tone softening the slightest bit. “Whatever choices Eret made and will make, their will is entirely their own. All I did was temporarily link our senses so that he felt what I feel, my connection to the SMP. It’s nothing more than that.”

Tommy doesn’t seem quite satisfied, but Wilbur speaks before he can.

“Show me.”

Dream blinks. “..What?”

“You said you just shared your senses with her.” Wilbur says stubbornly. “So you could do it again. Show me.”

Dream stands very, very still for a minute, examining the man in front of him. “..For a very small amount of time,” He eventually agrees. “It can be.. overwhelming, otherwise. The whole world will be too much at once, too… where would you like to see?”

Wilbur blinks at him for a moment, almost looking as if he hadn’t expected Dream to agree so easily. “..L’Manberg.”

Dream considers for a moment before nodding. “That’s the best spot, I think. My senses have been a bit weaker there since you claimed it.”

“And you’re completely sure this is safe?” Philza interrupts, crossing his arms and fixing Dream with a steely gaze.

Dream inclines his head. “If it weren’t, I would have suffered the consequences a long time ago. I’m going to momentarily extend my connection with the SMP to Wilbur, and he’ll see L’Manberg the way I see it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

He turns back to Wilbur, extending a hand. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Wilbur hesitates, but for only a mere moment before firmly clasping Dream’s hand. Dream closes his eyes, and extends his senses to slide into Wilbur’s mind. He opens them both to the world, and smiles behind his mask as the world says  _ hello _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies are pog
> 
> and yeah,, i'm not gonna make it so eret was threatened or mind-controlled or something where they did it against their will, because i feel like it undercuts her redemption arc? like,, if she was forced to do it than what does she have to redeem herself for, right? so yeah, just like in canon eret did make his own choices of his own free will, and he's gonna work to change and make up for those choices also of his own free will ^^
> 
> yeah i don't have that much to say,,, i've been feeling pretty sick lately and i haven't been sleeping well either. so i think i'm gonna see if i can write a bit more or at least transfer the already written chapters of the resurrection fic so that i can keep working on that one at some point, and then try and take a nap
> 
> what's funny is that i used to dislike naps right,, like when i was little? and then i just. couldn't sleep unless i was completely exhausted like- driven into the ground exhausted through most of my teenage years, and now i fall asleep in the late afternoons at least a couple times a week lmao :''
> 
> oh also... i've been having brainrot and. i was wondering which of sbi-centric au you guys would be more interested in seeing first (both will be written, i just have brainrot and can't choose one to focus on lmao), an smpearth antarctic empire au, or a vampire au ^^ both are gonna have a lot of angst and wilbur content (skfb my brand i guess), but also both will have happy endings... eventually :'


End file.
